Mozambique coalmines 'not reducing poverty'
The
in Tete are doing nothing to reduce poverty in the province, according to a study by Centro de Integridade Pública (CIP), to be published Thursday. "El dorado Tete: os mega projectos de mineração” (El Dorado Tete: the mining mega-projects) by João Mosca and Tomás Selemane will be available (in Portuguese only) on the CIP website on Friday: http://www.cip.org.mz
This is the most detailed study so far of coal mining in Tete, and it does not paint a happy picture. The main economic impact has been in the construction and services sector, and in inflation, for example of rents for flats and costs of hotel rooms.
The mines have not created a local economic dynamism nor entrepreneurial clusters, in part because here have been no incentives to promote local business linked to the mega-projects. Indeed, there seems to be no local planning to deal with rapid growth in the cities of Tete and Maotize, and municipal capacity is actually becoming weaker.
Resettlement of people living in areas to be dug up has been a serious problem, with families losing farmland and access to markets
Secrecy around mining is a serious problem. The authors note that Minerals Minister Esperança Bias, the provincial minerals director, the Tete vereador for urban administration, Vale, and Riversdale all publicly promised information which they did not provide. And the report criticises the non-transparency relating to contracts between government and companies. Indeed, even local officials do not know the terms of agreements.
+ Coal exports could hit 100 million tonnes per year with the government earning $600 million per year, Casimiro Francisco, president of the Association of Coal Mining Companies, told a conference in Maputo on 23 November. (Noticias 24 Nov 2011)
From: MOZAMBIQUE 189
News reports & clippings
30 Nov 2011
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Editor: Joseph Hanlon ( j.hanlon@open.ac.uk)
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This mailing list is used to distribute two publications, both edited by Joseph Hanlon. This is my own sporadic "News reports & clippings", which is entirely my own responsibility. This list is also used to distribute the Mozambique Political Process Bulletin, published by CIP and AWEPA, but those organisations are not linked to "News reports & clippings" Joseph Hanlon