Licences a big obstacle for junior miners
This is according to research released yesterday that was commissioned by the Junior and Emerging Miners’ Desk of the Minerals Council SA, formerly known as the Chamber of Mines.
The Minerals Council said that it was unclear if the delay was caused by junior miners’ inability to comply with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy requirements or if the delays were due to inefficiencies at the department.
“The greatest concern for respondents is obtaining a mining licence once they have completed their feasibility studies. The survey did not probe the reasons for this, and it may be that the juniors are failing to provide the necessary documentation of the standard required for the authorities to issue the licence. This is the area where 41percent of respondents found it difficult to proceed,” said the report.
The survey results, which were finalised this month, showed that apart from the general regulatory environment, junior miners had highlighted the Mining Charter requirements as the second-largest challenge.
Source: iol.co.za
