Nyagatare, Oct 19- The Governor of Eastern Province, the Deputy CEO of Rwanda Mines,Petroleum and Gas Board, mayors in Eastern Province, representatives of other governmental institutions and mining companies, concession owners, and members of the Rwanda Mining Association convened in a multi-stakeholder consultative meeting at a provincial level, held in the district of Nyagatare.

Mining operators, mining companies' representatives, members of Rwanda Mining Association, and other stakeholders

The meeting discussed elaborately the role that different stakeholders ought to play to keep developing the mining sector.  It also touched on rampant issues the case in point including environmentally friendly mining practices, illegal mining activities, and the lack of access to finance as well as limited availability of pieces of mining equipment.

In his remarks, the Governor of Eastern province said ‘ RMB should jointly work with other governmental institutions to promulgate the standard operating procedures to best engage local government entities to collectively address any issues arising out of illegal mining’.  The governor commended the outstanding contribution of the mining sector to the overall economic transformation in the Eastern province.

The Deputy CEO of RMB assured mining companies and mining operators that RMB will work with other stakeholders to provide miners with technical assistance through continuous professional training, capacity building, and connecting them with financial institutions. He referred to the outstanding contribution having been made by the Ministry of Education through the establishment of the School of Mining and Geology in the College of Science and Technology of the University of Rwanda. The school has so far offered many graduates who are currently at the helm of bringing about transformative and positive impacts to the mining sector in Rwanda.

It is also noteworthy to highlight that the remarks of the Deputy CEO largely revolved around the urgent need to take advantage of a staggering number of opportunities in the mining sector. The most striking example is the need to invest in mineral value addition. He also reminded the miners to keep themselves updated on  the latest trends in the mining sector globally such as the rising demand for minerals such as lithium.

He challenged mining companies to adopt smart practices such as ensuring that the payroll payments for their employees are done through banking institutions to allow easy access to finance and insurance. He also reiterated that there are currently ongoing joint operations and inspections by Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, and Rwanda Environment Management Authority.

The representative from REMA reminded the miners that it is of utmost importance for them to mine while protecting the environment at the same time. This implies that they must adhere to the environmental impact assessment by being responsible to preserving and restoring the environment.

All the mayors who were in attendance pledged to stick to their resolve to prevent malpractices in mining which often result in calamities and other adverse impacts to the lives of people.

The provincial consultative meetings happen every year and they are held across the four provinces including the city of Kigali.