Batebe Irene Pauline, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development, has disclosed the government’s intentions to establish a National Minerals Company tasked with overseeing Uganda’s investments in the mineral sector.
Batebe made these statements during her appearance before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, where the Ministry was summoned to address queries raised in the December 2023 Auditor General’s report.
She emphasized that the National Mining Company will manage government interests in the mining sub-sector, focusing on strategic minerals such as rare earth elements and cobalt. The initial investment is set to be piloted through Kilembe Mines, with ongoing efforts to secure capitalization and collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to ensure the company’s full operationalization.
In the Auditor General’s report, John Muwanga highlighted discrepancies regarding the export of processed gold between July 2022 and March 3, 2023. While the government anticipated an export levy of Shs5.811 billion from the export of 7839.1 Kgs of gold, only Shs428,703,625 was collected by URA, leaving a substantial outstanding balance of Shs5.383 billion.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development explained to auditors that a significant portion of the outstanding levy, amounting to Shs3.178 billion, was owed by three gold exporters who had obtained a court order halting levy collection. Additionally, Shs2.204 billion remained outstanding from a single exporter who had only partially fulfilled their levy payments.https://theprism.co.ug/kiryandongo-district-to-introduce-maize-quality-ordinance-to-safeguard-consumer-health/
