The Government of Rwanda has embarked on a Mineral Certification programme to add value to the mineral business in Rwanda and comply with International Standards for Market Access.

The Director General of the Rwanda Bureau of Standards, Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, on Friday, said that Rwanda’s minerals can now trade in the international markets after the official recognition.

"RBS in consultation with relevant stakeholders and relevant International Standards has developed a Code of Practice for Mining and Quarrying (RS 566:2011 Mining and Quarrying-Code of Practice)”, he
disclosed.

"This Code of Practice for Mining and Quarrying has been approved and will be instrumental for future Mineral Certification activities in Rwanda.”

The certification, which is in line with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Mineral Certification Initiative,will mean that mineral trading is internationally recognised as a legal business.

Cyubahiro added that the Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources (RINR; referred to as the Initiative), particularly, aims at breaking the link between mineral revenues and rebel financing.

"The joint technical work carried out on two mining companies, Rutongo Mines Limited and Wolfram Mining and Processing Limited, was found to comply to the CTC Standards and were awarded Certificates of Compliance (CoC) for the first time,”, he said.

According to the ministries of Trade and Finance, the minerals sector had been lagging behind with lower export receipts compared to other sectors.

Cyubahiro added that four more companies had been awarded certificates of progress and asked to put in order the remaining requirements for certification.

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