No rules on buying gold

By CLARISSA MOI
THE revised Mining Bill (2018 version) does not provide for regulating the commercialisation of proceeds from alluvial mining operations in the country, according to the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).
Managing director Jerry Garry said the Bill stopped at extraction and treating but did not provide for commercialisation.
“Currently there are regulations on export of gold but no regulations on purchase of gold in the country,” he told The National.
“If the purchase of gold can be regulated in country, there may be certain controls put in place to ensure fair pricing on alluvial gold products.
“This will enhance cash enrichment to the local alluvial miners and if put to good use, will in turn enrich their livelihood.”
Mining Minister Johnson Tuke had said recently that an alluvial mining policy was being worked on.
He said currently alluvial mining was an unregulated and unstructured business.
“We are still in the process of developing alluvial mining policy.”
Tuke said as a result of little regulation and oversight in the industry, alluvial miners were inadvertently causing environmental damages in their areas.
“They are not mindful of their safety,” he said. “Because you are a landowner that does not give you the right to go and mine if and when you feel you like it.”
He said the MRA referred to these individuals as artisanal miners.
“Their activities are of course concern to the community in terms of safety and the environment, and the chemicals they use,” Tuke said.
“That triggered us to come up with policy intervention, so we are in the process of developing an alluvial mining policy.
“Right now, alluvial mining is an unregulated and unstructured business.
“When we have a policy in place, they (alluvial miners) can comply with environmental law, labour law, etc … so that they can be held accountable for their actions should anything go wrong.”
Tuke said a separate division may also be established for alluvial mining alone.
He noted that in last year’s operation, alluvial miners came up with K600 million.