Rwanda mineral revenue to drop by 40%
Apr 10, 2009
KIGALI - Rwanda’s mining revenues may fall by 40% to around $56m this year, down from a record $94m in 2008, as demand contracts and prices drop on the world market.
KIGALI - Rwanda’s mining revenues may fall by 40% to around $56m this year, down from a record $94m in 2008, as demand contracts and prices drop on the world market.
The global slowdown has throttled demand for Rwanda’s high-end minerals such as tin and tungsten but sales of tantalum, a rare metal used in electronics, are stable, said Vincent Karega, the minister of minerals and natural resources.
In response to the slump in global commodity prices, mining companies are cutting production and watching the market carefully for signs of a price rebound, he said.
“The good news in Rwanda is that nobody has stopped investing,†Karega said in an interview.
Volatility is common in commodities markets and had not deterred serious long-term investors, he said.
Rwanda’s political stability and comparatively better infrastructure has made it a major transit and processing point for minerals from its war-torn neighbour DR Congo.
Karega said he was hopeful Rwanda’s mineral sector would boom as soon as the world economy recovers.
“The minerals produced in Rwanda are part of the rare minerals. It’s not like steel or copper which takes a lot of time to recover,†he said.
Reuters
The global slowdown has throttled demand for Rwanda’s high-end minerals such as tin and tungsten but sales of tantalum, a rare metal used in electronics, are stable, said Vincent Karega, the minister of minerals and natural resources.
In response to the slump in global commodity prices, mining companies are cutting production and watching the market carefully for signs of a price rebound, he said.
“The good news in Rwanda is that nobody has stopped investing,†Karega said in an interview.
Volatility is common in commodities markets and had not deterred serious long-term investors, he said.
Rwanda’s political stability and comparatively better infrastructure has made it a major transit and processing point for minerals from its war-torn neighbour DR Congo.
Karega said he was hopeful Rwanda’s mineral sector would boom as soon as the world economy recovers.
“The minerals produced in Rwanda are part of the rare minerals. It’s not like steel or copper which takes a lot of time to recover,†he said.
Reuters