Police mineral protection unit kicked out of Kisiita mining site by minister Opendi
Uganda Revenue Authority this afternoon regained the premises of Kisiita mining site following a directive from the minister for mineral development Sarah Opendi.
URA lost control over the mining site, after the police mineral protection unit forced them out, 2 years ago. URA had taken over the site in 2017, after the investors; Horizon Mineral Ltd and Kisiita Mining Ltd failed to pay tax.
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The state house anti corruption unit team and the State Mineral development Minister Sarah Opendi held a meeting with the illegal artisanal miners who they say are unrecognizable in URA books and therefore have not been paying taxes to government.
Mining at the site has been halted effective Monday next week 16th March and a grace period of three days was given to them to vacate the premises until a tax repayment plan is agreed upon between URA and the investors of Horizon Energy Ltd and Kisiita mining Ltd.
The decision to kick out the police’s protection unit and have URA take charge was reached at during a meeting at the state house anti corruption unit office on Wednesday.
The local artisanal miners are however not satisfied with the decision taken. They argue that their payment plan has been profit sharing, but the new one might subject them to salaries which they are uncomfortable with.
