Benishangul Gumuz is a blessed region with mineral resources. One of the widely known minerals is gold. The gold mine is being developed by associations in a traditional way, and the product is being supplied to the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) and is generating foreign currency for the country. More recently, efforts have been made to produce gold by company.
The mining developments, especially the gold production, are creating employment opportunities for many citizens. Although not as much as gold, the development of other minerals has also created job opportunities for citizens.
According to Kamil Hamed, Head of the Regional Mineral Development Office; in addition to precious metals such as gold, there are many other minerals widely available in the region that are used as raw materials for industry and construction. One of the construction raw materials is marble, which is used to finish construction, and another is coal, which is used as a source of energy for industries such as cement factories.
In addition, there are many other minerals in the region that not reached production level. Research is being conducted on the minerals that are said to exist in the region. There are so many types of minerals but their reserve volume is not fully confirmed, Kamil announced.
He recalled that in the past, marble mining was being done on a large scale, but recently, due to the security problem, it has not been produced as it should be. He also pointed out that this year’s production process of marble is recording better results than other times.
Similarly, it has been suggested that the production of coal is better than last year, and this indicates that the region has investment options that make it preferable for investors engaged in the mining sector.
Contrary to the last year’s performance, that was very low due to the security problems and instability in the region, marble production has been strengthened this year, the Head mentioned. He pointed out that it was planned to produce 20 thousand cubic meters in the fiscal year, but only 1,327 cubic meters of marble was produced as a result of large companies that received license and engaged in investment work in the sector were unable to operate.
The Head further said that an improved performance can be seen in the marble development this year because of favorable conditions created and better security issues. There are conditions where the production of marble can be doubled from the second quarter onwards.
There are two types of licensing for mining companies; high profile producers and small level producers. High profile producers are licensed by the Ministry of Mines whereas the small producers take a license from the region and engage in production.
There are more than 200 investors who have obtained license to produce marble in the region. Work is being done to identify the conditions under which these investors can renovate their camps and start working. Most of the workplaces are in the hands of manufacturers, and when they want to enter production, they can renovate their camps and start working.
The official said that the marble mine is located in three zones in the region mostly located in the Metekel zone where the development is underway at large scale. Marble is also produced in Asosa and Kemash zones.
According to the official, a study is being done about the marble deposits in the region. Although nothing has been confirmed by research, data shows that there is a large amount of stock per hectare. According to the information so far, there is enough stock in the region for any investor who wants to engage in the sector.
Earlier, the Head pointed out that the region’s marble production was only produced in blocks and taken to factories that change to different colors and shapes. But now, since the factory block production started in the region, it is possible to produce better products. The factory is producing marble by molding blocks in the required size and shape, but there are gaps in the recycling of the by-products.
The official mentioned that different things can be produced from marble waste, for example, there is a need for a factory where small-scale youths can make different shapes, colors and so on from the waste product. Many things can be produced from the byproduct but a lot of byproduct is being wasted.
As far as the data is concerned, it is possible to produce ink. Medicines can also be produced. Next, attention is paid to the residual product, he said.
Kamil further mentioned that a second factory capable of producing marble in the same region is under construction. “It is also possible to get a better product after completion of the construction,” he said.
He recalled that market connections had already been established for marble production and announced that there is no market problem for the product. Mentioning the market situation of the marble factory in operation as an example, he pointed out that there has never been any market shortage. The factory even produces with some amount of payment in advance.
The factory produces marble at its own place; it does not waste time to find a market and only fulfills the responsibility of production. The main focus of the factory should be to be able to produce marble and that there is no market problem.
Other manufacturers have signed contracts with factories in the Addis Ababa area, while some manufacturers have factories elsewhere and will take their products and do the next job.
Most of the producers engaged in the sector are making the necessary preparations to start production by renovating their camp and this indicates that the product will be produced better this year. Other producers who had not renewed their camps due to the previous security situation in the region are also renovating their camps this year and starting work. With all this, the ore is better mined so that the plan set will be achieved.
As to him, the current situation in the region has shown improvements in the production of marble and better products will be obtained when all the producers are involved in the production. He assured that the work will be strengthened to continue this.
While explaining about the performance in creating job opportunities in the region, he stated that it is planned to create job opportunities for 1,453 citizens in the mining sector in 2023/24 fiscal year and succeeded by creating 1,159 jobs the quarter alone.
Best job opportunities are created from the perspective of performance, and the job opportunities are mostly created in the gold mining sector. It is known that the country’s construction sector is in need of construction finishing products such as marble. Information also indicates that most of the construction completions are currently imported. A large amount of foreign currency is being released for this. Construction finishing inputs that can be produced in the country are also being imported. It is suggested that one of the reasons for this is the wrong perception for the country’s construction finishing products.
It can be understood from the information given by Kamil that there is no market problem for the region’s marble production, although it is known that some of the construction finishing products produced in the country have quality problems. By mass producing this product, it is possible to partially fill the gap in construction finishing materials. This fact is very beneficial for the country’s efforts to reduce the import of similar products by producing and using construction finishing products in the country.
Marble mining is widely available in Benishangul Gumuz region. This should help the efforts to solve the construction finishing inputs problem by creating favorable conditions for large-scale mineral development. For this, in addition to strengthening the activities that are being carried out by ensuring peace, it is also necessary to pay attention to the investment in the sector.
BY BACHA ZEWDIE
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 26 OCTOBER 2023
