Miners appeal for credit facilities

Investors in the mining sector have called on banks to give them credit facilities to boost trade.The mining sector ranks among the country’s top foreign exchange earners. Speaking to Business Times, several local investors lamented that the banking sector was reluctant to offer them loans as the mining sector is presumed a high risk industry.“The commercial banks don’t understand the sector. That is why they shun us and fund other sectors,” noted Ben Benzinge, the Director of Natural resources Development Rwanda Ltd, adding that the mining sector has grown from scratch to become a leading foreign exchange earner in the country. He stressed that this should be a guarantee to banks to open up to the industry.According to the miners, commercial banks have over the years provided a huge chunk of loans to agriculture, commerce, and other sectors, without considering them.In 2011, commercial banks and Rwanda Development Board authorised total loans provided worth Rwf336 billion from Rwf262 in 2010 with 36.7 percent going to commerce, restaurant and hotels with public works and the construction sector taking 24.7 percent while mining took 0.0 percent.However, one of the leading commercial banks in the country, Bank of Kigali (BK) says their loan policy does no discriminate.“As long as they are credit worthy, BK would be happy to give loans to anyone who qualifies,” explained the bank’s Managing Director, James Gatera,.Jean Malic Kalimba of Wolfram Mining and Processing Ltd also concured with other miners that commercial banks deny the sector loans.Maurice Torotich of Kenya Commercial Bank argued that banks were reluctant to lend to the mining sector in the past due to disputes over the origin of minerals.“Previously, there was an international embargo on minerals due to bloody minerals smuggled from the Democratic Republic of Congo. But now that the rules are clear, we can work with them again,” announced Torotich.Torotich however pointed out that there was shortage of expertise in both the mining and banking sectors to deal with former sector terming it as “complex”.

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Miners appeal for credit facilities