The New Bugarama Mining Company plans to spend Rwf 600million  towards setting up a washing plant for wolfram, and related infrastructure development around the Bugarama wolfram mining site in Burera district.

While on a field tour of the site on Thursday, Jean Paul Francart, of the New Bugarama Mining Company, said that the planned investment will help add value to the mineral products from the region.

Francart added that the field tour was aimed at assessing the steps made in ensuring safe mining of wolfram in the area, including recruitment procedures.

"This site has over 2500 tonnes  of wolfram, we want to start producing 10 tonnes per month  in the next three years, and the quality produced is one of the best in the world,’’ Francart said.

The mining of wolfram in Bugarama has in the past been undermined by wrangles over mining concessions and failure to pay the workers.

"We have various projects targeting the workers and residents,  we intend to bring  electricity here and to set up a health centre,’’ Francart disclosed.

"We have 150 cooperatives engaged in trade of minerals and mining itself, but research has shown that a lot of minerals have not been tapped. For instance we have Wolfram in over 4 districts which needs huge investments,’’ Hilderbrand Kanzira, Director of Research Unit, Rwanda Geology and Mining  Authority-RGMA,  said.

The Managing Director of New Bugarama Mining Company, Damien Munyarugerero, said that whereas the company has registered success, its work has adversely been affected by residents occupying over 49 ha of land close to the mining site.

He appealed to the concerned authorities to intervene, saying the local authorities are yet to settle the issue.

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