Growing mineral theft must be checked

Editor, RE: “600kg of smuggled minerals intercepted in Rulindo” (The New Times, March 14). Congratulations once again to the Police for the seizing of un-tagged minerals. What needs to be done urgently is to investigate to whom the minerals were being delivered as no company should have tags in Kigali. Who is the GMD agent that would complete the documentation illegally? All of this should be completed on the mine site. GMD, who are responsible for the “chain of custody’”, should investigate the trader who is involved in these fraudulent dealings as they should by law be doing their due diligence which apparently they are not performing. Theft of minerals is increasing on a monthly basis which has a dramatic effect on legitimate mining investors who are committed to Rwanda and have everything to lose, yet the illegal buyers/traders of stolen material add nothing to the economy by avoiding taxes and undermining the OECD guidelines and the rules and regulations of Rwanda. Martin Kahanovitz

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Growing mineral theft must be checked