By Silvia Nyambura
President of Uganda his Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has lifted the ban imposed on export of minerals imposed earlier this year. This was during the presidential investors’ round table meeting held at State House Entebbe on 19th August 2015. The ban was imposed because sector players were required to add value to all their products before export, a move they requested to be phased due to its implications on operations. The ban had frustrated the industry for quite some time.
According to the Chairman Uganda Chamber of Mining and Petroleum (UCMP) Elly Karuhanga, all the mining companies had been issued with licenses and they were of legal value; so enacting the ban had not only breached the contracts with investors but had frustrated any developments that they would have been looking forward to.
“It had also challenged the investment climate and as a consequence, Uganda could not record any exports of minerals during the time of the ban. So this development is very exciting for everyone in the industry and for the members of UCMP. In fact, come October 1st & 2nd , we are asking the international investor community in mining to come and attend our flagship event, the Mineral Wealth Conference (MWC) in a big way, because Uganda’s mining sector is now reawakened,
