By Own Correspondent- Government has set annual targets for high-level minerals as it moves to maximise production in the mining sector.

The gold sector is expected to produce 40 tonnes per year, diamond sector 10 million carats and 50 tonnes of refined platinum as the drive towards a mining contribution of US$12 billion by 2023 gathers momentum.

Further, Government wants all holders of claims to use them for the nation’s benefit or risk losing them.

This was said by Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Polite Kambamura during the launch of the Environmental Management Plan for Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in Patchway, Kadoma, last week.

He said to achieve the US$12 billion contribution by the mining sector, Government would review its policies, legislation and regulations governing the sector.

Besides establishing gold centres, Government would replace aged maps indicating where the country’s minerals are located through the cadastre system, guarantee bank loans for small-scale miners and financing gold buyers to curtail leakages.

“As the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, we sat down and agreed that the industry should contribute at least US$12 billion by the year 2023.

“In this endeavour, we identified each mineral that could contribute to the attainment of that goal, for example, producing 10 million carats of diamonds, 50 tonnes of refined platinum and 40 tonnes of gold,” said Deputy Minister Kambamura.

Already, the country is on course to achieving the 40 tonnes target for gold after producing 33,3 tonnes last year driven by artisanal miners who outperformed large-scale producers.

However, there has been a marked decline in gold production this year with 1,77 tonnes produced in January, February (2,1 tonnes), March (2,6 tonnes) and April (2,1 tonnes).

The output represents a decline from an average of 2,5 tonnes per month last year.-StateMedia