Government Bans export of Unbeneficiated lithium Ore.

As ZMF hails the move.

By Harry Taruva

The Zimbabwe Miners Federation ( ZMF) has hailed the move by government to ban the export of unprocessed or unbeneficiated lithium ore, saying the move would help pluck out leakages, provide more revenue for the country and create more local jobs.

Giving the ZMF position on the ban, Its President Ms Henrietta Rushwaya said
” The ban is important because there have been a lot of leakages, loss of revenue on government’ s part , not realising the true value of the resource, which has a negative impact on the realisation of the US$12billion mining industry by 2023.”

“The ban will also lead to the participation of serious players in the beneficiation process and the creation of local jobs and transfer of skills by experts” said Ms Rushwaya in applauding the move by government.

On 16 December 2022, Mines and Mining development Minister Winston Chitando promulgated section 3 (1) (a) of the Base MineralsExport Controls Act that bans the export of lithium bearing ores or unbeneficiated lithium from Zimbabwe except under express written permission of the Minister.

The ban comes against the background of a stampede by lithium buyers who have been buying the rich mineral for very low prices and exporting the same ore unbeneficiated at the expense of the country.

Below is the full text of S.I 213 of 2022 Base Minerals Export Control.( Unbeneficiated lithium bearing ores) Order 2022.

Minerals Export Control (Lithium Bearing Ores and
Unbeneficiated Lithium) Order, 2022
1395
Statutory Instrument 213 of 2022.
[CAP. 21:05
Base Minerals Export Control (Lithium Bearing Ores and
Unbeneficiated Lithium) Order, 2022
UNDER the powers conferred upon me by section 3(1)(a) of
the Base Minerals Export Control Act [Chapter 21:05], I, Wiston
Chitando, MP, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, by this
my order direct that with immediate effect as follows:—
1. This order may be cited as the Base Minerals Export Control
(Unbeneficiated Lithium Bearing Ores) Order, 2022.
2. In this order—
“lithium bearing ore” means any mineral ore containing
lithium;
“unbeneficiated lithium” means any lithium in whatever form
that has not undergone processing to an extent that would
exempt it from the payment of export tax under section
12B (“Collection of tax on exportation of unbeneficiated
lithium; determination of value thereof”) of the Value
Added Tax Act [Chapter 23:12];
3. (1) No lithium bearing ores, or unbeneficiated lithium
whatsoever, shall be exported from Zimbabwe to another
country except under written permit of the Minister given under
subsection (2).
(2) On written application by any party—
(a) wishing to export samples of lithium bearing ore or
unbeneficiated lithium for assaying outside Zimbabwe;
or
(b) to a miner or exporter of lithium upon production of
written proof satisfactory to the Minister that there are
exceptional circumstances justifying the exportation
in question and that the lithium bearing ores or
unbeneficiated lithium in question have been valued
in terms of section 12D(3) of the Value Added Tax Act
[Chapter 23:12] for purposes of payment of the export
tax on unbeneficiated lithium, that is to say—
1396
Base Minerals Export Control (Lithium Bearing Ores and
Unbeneficiated Lithium) Order, 2022
(i) the market value thereof on the date of exportation
has been determined by reference to a reputable
metals exchange; or
(ii) its value is reflected on any document required to
be delivered in terms of the Customs and Excise
Act [Chapter 23:02] for its exportation under that
Act.
4. To avoid doubt—
(a) section 5 of the principal Act provides that “An order
shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent
therewith in any other enactment or any trade or customs
agreement to which the State is a party.”; and
(b) section 6 of the principal Act provides that any person
who contravenes or fails to comply with any order or
with the terms and conditions of any permit issued to
him or her under an order shall be guilty of an offence
and liable

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