Iron Ore Miners in Rubanda Appeal for Export Ban to Be Lifted
|BICHOLIN.K MUSISI| HUNTER FM RADIO 105.0| Iron ore miners in Rubanda district are appealing to the government to lift the ban on the export of iron ore, saying the restriction has crippled their businesses and affected the livelihoods of local communities.
The ban, imposed in 2021 by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, was aimed at promoting value addition within Uganda’s borders.
Miners say the directive has instead left stockpiles of unsold ore sitting idle at mining sites, with no clear alternative market or processing capacity in place.
During a visit to Rubanda, heaps of iron ore could be seen abandoned at various mining locations.
Miners voiced frustration over the lack of a market for their product and the burden of loans they took out to invest in the sector.
Sam Nshemereirwe Kaboneka, a miner in the area, said the ban has left many without income and unable to meet basic needs, including school fees for their children.
Nshemereirwe urged the government to consider the hardships faced by artisanal miners and lift the ban so that operations can resume.
At JAF Investments Ltd, a mining firm operating in Rubanda, the story is similar. The company's mining engineer, Eng Dominic Otto, said the ban has severely disrupted operations.
From employing over 50 people, they have now cut their workforce by half due to a lack of revenue.
“As a company, we were forced to stop mining in October last year. The cash flow is just not there anymore since we are unable to sell the ore. We used to export between 10 to 15 tonnes. Now we are stuck,” Otto explained.
He warned that if the ban remains in place, the company may have no choice but to shut down completely.
While miners are calling for an immediate lifting of the restriction, some experts argue the ban, in principle, is sound.
Eng Jack Alberto Mihigo, a mining specialist, said encouraging value addition is the right move for any country seeking to benefit fully from its natural resources.
However, he cautioned that such policies need to be implemented with consideration for local realities.
“In our Mining and Minerals Act, the government committed to ensuring value addition so that we maximise the benefits from these minerals for the good of the people of Uganda,” Batebe said in a phone interview.
She added that several companies are currently being supported to move beyond mining into processing and production of finished products.
Although the intention behind the export ban is to stimulate industrialisation and job creation through local processing, Rubanda miners say they are yet to see those benefits and are instead being pushed deeper into poverty.