A meeting of mining officials from members of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has been scheduled for next month where they would discuss the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Strategy. The ICGLR, which has major gold producers in the region as members, wants its partner countries to adopt the strategy by the middle of the year. The plan is to harmonize gold export procedures, taxation, traceability, and certification. “It is disheartening to see so much gold being smuggled from DR Congo through its neighbouring countries,” said Ambeyi Ligabo, a director at ICGLR. “While much attention over the past 10 years has focused on implementing traceability for tin, tungsten, and tantalum, little has been done in terms of monitoring the flow of gold in the region.” Africa exports precious metals worth billions of dollars annually. While much of the activity is legal, a significant amount of exports is carried out through smuggling.
SOURCE: VENTURES AFRICA
