FECOMIRWA is constituted by 4 Unions and 134 Primary cooperatives, the mining sector Contributes to GDP much beyond 5% , Asia is the main destination of Rwanda’s mineral exports (Wolfram, Cassiterite and Coltan). Mining has the Strong legal and regulatory framework in place, Mining standards (focused on health and safety) and guidelines one of which addresses smuggling ; GoR is exploring options for becoming a regional hub for Mineral Services, The Sector is one of the key financial contributors to national development, Export earnings shall exceed 400m USD. The government will to continuously evaluate the national mineral potential and to support foreign direct investment.
Most registered mining and exploration companies in Rwanda are categorized as artisanal or small-scale operations (ASM). Since formalization the ASM 3T subsector became largest producer of 3T minerals in Rwanda.
(i) 10% of mining revenues go back to mine-affected communities (benefit sharing), (ii) Consolidation of individual artisanal miners into cooperatives and unions and to organize these into their federation, (iii) Implementation of international norms (especially traceability), (iv) Building technical capacities within universities and technical colleges, (v) Privatization led to an inflow of international companies investing in mining projects, (vi) The federation links cooperatives with inputs and outputs market,
The main issues in mining are : Lack of large mines, limited direct foreign investment, digitized existing detailed geological data and harmonization across ministries ; priorities are on energy, manufacturing, ICT and tourism, No mining specialists in financial, Miners perceive cost of due diligence and certification to be excessive, Insufficient number of mine inspectors / do not have specialized skill sets, variations in commodity prices, Challenges in access to equipment, labor capacity and access to finance.
To overcome some gaps /challenges, it needs doing the following actions : Further geological and mineral assessment, Policies : small-scale miners are requesting transitional periods to help reach higher standards, improve with geographical mapping (rather on the side of GoR), Integrating those ASM (that are working in the informal sector) into the formal legal system, Support in forming Cooperatives requirements and Trainings for cooperatives members.
