From Allafrica · · 1m 20s
Namibia Proposes Community Royalties for Mining
Namibia's president wants 2-5% of mining royalties to fund local communities directly.
In brief
Namibia's president wants 2-5% of mining royalties to fund local communities directly. Namibia's Popular Democratic Movement president proposes channeling 2-5% of mining royalties through community trusts to benefit local residents. Originally reported by Allafrica.
Venaani Proposes Royalty Share
Popular Democratic Movement president McHenry Venaani proposed 2-5% of mining royalties could be channelled directly to communities through trusts.
“One of the things I think should happen . . . is to create community trusts so that we control the royalties in a configuration of the deals”
Venaani's Community Benefit Goal
Venaani said communities in mineral-rich areas should receive lasting financial benefits from resources extracted nearby.
“How do we make sure our people permanently benefit from our country's resources?”
Venaani's Call for Action
Venaani urged lawmakers to consider mechanisms increasing benefits for communities in mining areas.
“Otherwise, only 20 Namibians can get mines, but the real money will not come to communities”
Amutse's Response
Minister of industries, mines and energy Modestus Amutse said royalties currently go to the state and contribute to the national budget.
“When we issue licences we normally issue them with conditions, now in these conditions we can definitely develop a component that would definitely speak to what we need to collect from certain investors depending on the nature of the licence”
Amutse's Legal Changes
Amutse indicated the ministry is amending the Minerals Act of 1992 to address monitoring and illegal mineral extraction concerns.
“He said the ministry was in the process of amending the Minerals Act of 1992, including provisions relating to concerns raised about the monitoring of mining activities and illegal mineral extraction”
Muharukua Supports Dual System
Kunene governor Vipuakuje Muharukua backed a dual royalty system where both state and communities benefit from mining revenues.
“The money that will come from our mining is so much that we can support a dual system”
Muharukua's Conservation Concerns
Muharukua criticized insufficient community benefits from tourism, hunting concessions, and economic opportunities in conservancies.
“How is it that our young people don't have lodges and concessions in those conservancies? How is it that our people cannot benefit more from the hunting concessions?”
Hamutenya's Illegal Mining Concerns
Kamanjab councillor Nikodemus Hamutenya raised concerns about illegal mineral exploitation in Kunene region.
“We don't have somebody to stop this. We have fishery inspectors and people from the agriculture ministry, but now we are giving the police the difficulty to see where these minerals are coming from”
The takeaway
Namibia's Popular Democratic Movement president proposes channeling 2-5% of mining royalties through community trusts to benefit local residents.
