Rwanda installing computerised mining cadastre system

As reported in Mining Weekly, an 18 month project has begun to implement a computerised mining cadastre system, FlexiCadastre, for the Rwandan Geology and Mines Department. The system will replace the current paper based system and is expected to attract investment into the sector and as stated by the company responsible, enable the government to monitor compliance beyond licence fees, to include work commitments, social and labour plans, environmental permitting, royalty and tax payments and extractive industry transparency-initiative reporting. It is also expected to provide security of tenure for artisanal miners, allowing them to seek capital funding to further their projects, as well as provide additional confidence for investment for large international mining companies. This activity is part of Rwanda’s four-year Strategic Capacity Building Initiative (SCBI), which is focused on combining the delivery of government priorities with capacity building, increasing mining exports and production, while simultaneously delivering a positive economic impact for its citizens. Countries currently using the FlexiCadastre system in the region include Tanzania, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The original report is available here.