via ‘Zim mining headed for bleak 2016’ – The Zimbabwe Independent January 15, 2016
THE Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe (COMZ) is anticipating little improvement in production and prices for most metals mined in the country, despite an easing in power supplies after Zimbabwe inked a deal to import power from Eskom.
fin24
Following media reports in Zimbabwe that the power import deal agreed with Eskom was secretive, the power utility confirmed this week that it is exporting excess electricity to Zimbabwe in line with provisions of the Southern African Power Pool protocol.
The power import deal from SA appears to have been spearheaded by miners in Zimbabwe, which include units of Impala Platinum (Implats) , Aquarius Platinum and Anglo American Platinum. Mining companies pay a tariff of 12 cents per kilowatt hour, which Fin24 understands is now to be lowered.
“Electricity supplies have improved. The only issue is the tariff which should be negotiated again. I think something is going on right now regarding the tariffs,” COMZ chief executive officer Isaac Kwesu said in an interview.
The chamber is due to release a state of the mining industry report at the end of January. It is expected that the report will detail the constraints the industry is facing together with opportunities for growth, as well as highlighting the gold mining industry as “probably the only growth area” for the sector, according to sources.
However, Kwesu said the “the outlook for the industry may be the same if not worse” than in 2015. Last year mining companies grappled with policy uncertainties, power outages and lack of access to capital.
“Nothing really is encouraging from the commodity price outlook and we still anticipate that prices will remain depressed,” he said. Depressed commodity prices forced companies in the industry to stop or delay expansion programmes as they sought to preserve cash.
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