Mozambique Revokes 145 Mining Titles

Mozambique has taken measures to sanitise activities in the mining sector, revoking more than 145 titles in the first quarter of the year.

The Director of Mozambique’s National Institute of Mines (IMAMI), Adriano Sênvano, said: “Among the irregularities committed by the mining companies are the deadlines for expired licenses.’’

The holders also failed to submit periodic reports, a fact that ws a sufficient condition for revoke a license, he said.

Many of the holders, he said, default in payment of taxes.

“Otherwise, if you are a production license, you have to pay the appropriate production tax, as explained,” Sênvano said.

In addition to these 145 licenses already revoked, INAMI says that there are another 323 who are in an irregular situation and therefore, at any moment, can also be revoked.

In fact, they remain active only because “the withdrawal of a mining title must be preceded by a technical and legal evaluation”, which has not happened yet.

In addition to the irregularities regarding the time of the license, as well as the periodic reports, the non-regularization of the data (physical and electronic address and the Unique Tax Identification Number of the securities) on the basis of INAMI is another reason that may lead to the revocation of licenses.

Mozambique’s mining sector, particularly its substantial unexploited coal deposits in the central province of Tete,has recently attracted significant attention from international mining companies.

The country has vast reserves of untapped coal and the Moatize coal mine in the Tete Province is currently the fourthlargest in the world.

The World Bank forecasted in its latest report that, by 2032, Mozambique could generate up to $9 billion in revenues from its natural resources, in particular coal and gas, as demand from India and China continues to grow.