Summary: In a press conference held on June 2 in Kinshasa, the Congo N’est Pas à Vendre (CNPAV) coalition congratulated the Congolese government for the publication of the partnership contract of the company Primera Gold, which is at the center of all Attention for a few months. The CNPAV also urged the government to publish the full list of the real beneficiaries of this company as well as Primera Metals which must process artisanal mining minerals from the eastern provinces.
Primera Gold and Primera Metals Partnership Agreement
Primera Gold’s partnership contract with the Congolese government grants the company exclusive rights to export all artisanal gold, coltan and tin ores produced mainly in the eastern provinces of congo. The CNPAV welcomed the initiative which aims to put an end to fraud and mining smuggling that have characterized the artisanal exploitation of gold and coltan in eastern DRC for the past two decades.
However, the coalition questions the numerous commercial and tax advantages granted to Primera Gold and Primera Metals. The contract provides in particular that the two companies will benefit from a 25-year export monopoly, Primera Gold for gold and Primera Metals for so-called 3T ores (tin, coltan and tungsten). In addition, Primera Gold will only pay a single rate of 0.25%, which is 10 times less than the taxes that apply to other artisanal gold exporting companies.
The list of actual beneficiaries of Primera Gold and Primera Metals
Despite the granting of these numerous advantages, the CNPAV regrets that the Congolese government has not yet published the complete list of the real beneficiaries of Primera Gold and Primera Metals, which creates opacity around the real ownership of these companies. The public wonders about the shareholders and the real beneficiaries and expects the government to clarify this situation.
Conclusion
The partnership between the Congolese government and Primera should both contribute to the fight against mining fraud and smuggling and generate substantial revenue for the Congolese state and the provinces concerned. The CNPAV has therefore requested the publication of the list of all the real beneficiaries of the companies Primera Gold and Primera Metals, clarification of these enormous tax breaks as well as the abolition of the 25-year monopoly of export of these minerals granted to these two companies. . The public eagerly awaits the government’s next announcements on this subject