Industrial Mining

• Mining in Rwanda presents un exploited opportunities in ores, processing and diversification.
• Rwanda’s main mineral exports are ores processed to extract tin, tantalum and tungsten and few gold and gemstones.
• Mining is the second largest export in the Rwandan economy. In 2014, the sector generated about $210.6 Million of foreign exchange.
• All mineral exports from Rwanda are traceable through the tagging system currently accepted by the downstream buyers of the minerals.
• Exploration works to identify and delineate more mineral deposits are underway.
• A strong, investor friendly legal and policy framework has been put in place.

Key targets

• Contribution to GDP is to increase from 1.2% to 5.27 by 2017/2018.
• The number of working people (16 years and above) with main job in the mining sub-sector  will increase from 20,000 to 60,000 by 2017/2018.
• Total investment (cumulative) in the sector will be increased from USD 150 million to USD 500 million by 2017/2018.
• Export earnings will increase from USD 158 million in 2011 to USD 400 million by 2017/2018.
• Certified mine sites with efficient water and wastes management system to increase from 20% in 2011/2012 to 100% by 2017/2018.
• Percentage of the certified mine sites with  safe and secure working conditions will be increased from 25% in 2011/2012 to 80% by 2017/2018.

Regulatory Framework

• Ministry of Natural Resources: Designing Policy and strategies, Issuing of Mining and Quarry licenses, laws and regulations elaboration and supervision and Promotion of mining sector at national and international levels.
• Geology and Mines Department: Enhance geological and mining knowledge of the country, improve exploitation and investment conditions, monitoring mining activities to comply with the law and increase value addition to Rwanda’s mines and quarries.
• Rwanda environment management authority: Setting environment standards, environment inspection of mining projects and rehabilitation of exhausted mines and quarries.
• Ministry of Trade and Industry: Mineral trading license

Mineral transparency initiatives in Rwanda

• Rwanda started following the enactment of the Dodd-Frank “conflict-minerals” Act
• Mineral traceability in Rwanda use the ITRI/iTSCi ‘tag and bag’ scheme was initiated in late 2010
• The Government passed a mineral anti-smuggling regulations in March 2011
• Since April 2011, 100% of Rwandan minerals are traceable from their mine sites up to their export point
• Since 2012, Rwanda has integrated the Regional Certification Mechanism (RCM) in its mining regulations
• The RCM forms part of the ICGLR Regional Initiative on Natural Resources, adopted by heads of state in December 2010

Useful links

• www.minirena.gov.rw
• www.minicom.gov.rw
• www.rma.co.rw