Dar es Salaam/Toronto

Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) imesema Alhamisi hii kuwa kampuni inayoimiliki, Acacia Mining (ACAA.L) italipa dola za Marekani milioni 300 (paundi milioni 228.07 za Uingereza) na kugawana ‘faida za kiuchumi’ katika shughuli zake nchini Tanzania katika mpango wa makubaliano yaliyopendekezwa ili kutatua miezi miwili ya mgogoro wake na serikali ya Tanzania.

Mapema Alhamisi, Mwenyekiti wa Barrick, John Thornton aliuambia mkutano wa habari jijini Dar es Salaam kuwa kampuni hiyo imekubali kuilipa Tanzania dola za kimarekani milioni 300 kama ishara ya imani nzuri. Ilifafanua taarifa hiyo baadaye kuwa kampuni yake tanzu, Acacia itafanya malipo hayo.

Tanzania pia itapata sehemu ya asilimia 16 katika migodi mitatu ya dhahabu ya Acacia chini ya makubaliano hayo kwa mujibu wa Barrick na waziri wa serikali ya Tanzania. Acacia imesema imepokea nakala ya mpango wa makubaliano na itautolea ufafanuzi.

Thornton amesema makubaliano hayo yatahitaji idhini ya wanahisa huru wa bodi ya wakurugenzi wa Acacia. Bodi ya wanachama saba ya Acacia ina wakurugenzi wawili kutoka Barrick, mmoja kutoka Acacia na wakurugenzi huru wanne.

Serikali kutoka Indonesia hadi Afrika Kusini zinahitaji udhibiti mkubwa juu ya utajiri wa madini kwa jinsi bei za metali zinavyoongezeka. Baada ya kuhamia katika nchi zenye athari zaidi katika uchimbaji mpya, makampuni ya madini yanakabiliwa na kuongezeka kwa kile kinachoitwa utaifa wa rasilimali.

Barrick, kampuni kubwa duniani ya uchimbaji dhahabu inayomiliki asilimia 63.9 ya Acacia, ilianza mazungumzo na Tanzania mwezi Juni. Serikali ilipiga marufuku mauzo ya madini yasiyochakatwa na kutunga sheria mpya mapema mwaka 2017 ili kuongeza umiliki wa serikali katika migodi.

Acacia mwezi Julai ilipelekewa madai ya kodi za dola za kimarekani bilioni 190 kwa malimbikizo, adhabu na riba. Imekuwa ikituhumiwa na Tanzania kwa ukwepaji wa kodi kwa miaka kadhaa na pia kwa uthamini hafifu wa mauzo yake nje.

Ikiwa kampuni iliyosajiliwa kwenye soko la hisa la Uingereza, hisa za Acacia kwa siku ya Alhamisi zimefungwa zikiwa juu kwa asilimia 16 zikionyesha ahueni waliyopata wawekezaji wake katika makubaliano haya, wachambuzi walisema. Na hisa za Barrick zimefungwa zikiwa chini kwa senti 1 za Kanada kufikia dola za Kanada 20.15.

“Maelezo zaidi na ufafanuzi wa ziada unahitajika kuchunguza kikamilifu athari zake, lakini hadidu za makubaliano zinaonyesha kuwa na athari kidogo tofauti na matarajio,” alisema mchambuzi wa Masoko ya Hisa na Mitaji wa BMO,  Andrew Kaip katika taarifa yake ya Alhamisi.

Marufuku ya kusafirisha nje ilikuwa sehemu ya kushinikiza kwa ujenzi wa kinu cha uchenjuaji (smelter) nchini ili kufanya mauzo ya dhahabu ya nchi kuwa muhimu zaidi.

Rais John Magufuli hakusema kama marufuku ya kusafirisha nje ya nchi yataondolewa. Barrick na serikali itaunda kamati itakayofanyia kazi utatuzi wa madai ya kodi kwa Acacia.

“Kwa kuwa sisi sote ni wanahisa, tunaweza kukaa chini kwa kikombe cha kahawa na tukaamua masuala yoyote yaliyo bora,” Rais Magufuli alisema kwenye televisheni.

Pia aliamuru viongozi wa serikali kuanza mara moja majadiliano na wachimbaji wa almasi na tanzanite kufikia makubaliano kama hayo.

Tanzania ni wazalishaji wa dhahabu wa nne wa ukubwa barani na Acacia ni mchimbaji wake mkubwa zaidi.

Wiki iliyopita, Barrick ilisema uzalishaji wa robo ya tatu ya mwaka ulipungua kwa sababu ya masuala ya Tanzania.

Taarifa Zaidi: Barrick Gold, Tanzania reach partnership deal

• Shirika lililosajiliwa Toronto, Tanzanian Royalty Exploration (CN: TNX) limemshukuru Rais John Magufuli, kwa kusema kuwa uwazi anaohitaji Rais katika sekta ya rasilimali, “ni wito ulio wazi kwa taratibu za pande zote kunufaika, na sio kutaifisha”.

Tanzania hivi karibuni ilipitisha sheria mpya zilizotungwa ili kuongeza mapato na kuipa uwezo serikali wa kufuta mikataba mibovu na kudhibiti usuluhishi wa kimataifa.

Mbali na sheria mpya, serikali imezuia mauzo ya makinikia ya dhahabu na shaba, ambapo uamuzi umesababisha kampuni ya Acacia Mining (LN: ACA) kutozwa malimbikizo ya kodi na penati zake mpaka kufikia dola za Kimarekani bilioni 190 katika migogoro na mchimbaji huyo, na mwezi uliopita ilitaifisha zaidi ya katati 70,000 za almasi kutoka mgodi wa Williamson unaomilikiwa kwa pamoja na Petra Diamonds (LN: PDL).

Hata hivyo Tanzanian Royalty Exploration, ambayo ina umiliki wa asilimia 45% ya mali na mapato ya mradi wa dhahabu wa Buckreef na serikali ya Tanzania, imesema kampuni zinazozalisha malighafi za madini zinapaswa kuwa na usawia katika kugawana mapato na serikali.

“Kama mfanyabiashara ninaefanya kazi nchini Tanzania kwa zaidi ya miaka 20, ni maoni yangu kwamba kufanya kazi kwa imani nzuri ni muhimu nchini Tanzania kama ilivyo kila mahali,” mwenyekiti mtendaji  huyo, James Sinclair alisema.

“Rais Magufuli ni Kiongozi kwa wakati huu, nchini na barani.”

Alisema kampuni hiyo haikuathiriwa na sheria mpya na anatoa maoni ya hivi karibuni kuhusu msemaji wa serikali, ambaye alisema hakuna ukweli katika ripoti zinazodai kwamba nchi ilikuwa na mikakati kutaifisha miliki za migodi.

Kampuni hiyo pia ilianza mazungumzo na serikali mwezi Julai ili kufadhili mradi wa kisasa gravity/CIL katika mgodi wa dhahabu wa wazi (open pit) wa Buckreef ambao una uwezo wa rasilimali zaidi ya ounces milioni 1 ardhini.

Kwa Taarifa Zaidi: “President Magufuli is a man for this time, country and continent”

LONDON, Uingereza

Thamani ya hisa za kampuni ya Petra Diamonds zaanguka baada ya Serikali ya Tanzania kukamata furushi lenye vipande vya almasi zenye thamani ya dola za kimarekani milioni 15 (takribani sh. bilioni 33) kama sehemu ya Uchunguzi wa Kamati ya Bunge katika madai ya uhalifu katika Sekta ya Almasi.

Kampuni hii iliyoorodheshwa kwenye Soko la Hisa na Dhamana la London imelazimika kufunga mgodi wake wa Williamson, chanzo cha mawe haya, kwa kuwa “wafanyakazi wake muhimu” wanasaidia mamlaka kwa uchunguzi kuangalia jinsi almasi zinavyothaminishwa.

Hisa za kampuni hiyo, ambayo inasema “haijapewa taarifa rasmi” za sababu ya uchunguzi, zimeanguka kwa karibu asilimia 25% wakati soko lilipofunguliwa, kabla ya kurejesha thamani kwa asilia 6% chini, chini ya senti za kiingereza 6.2p kufikia senti 83.75p.

Almasi zilikamatwa uwanja wa ndege jijini Dar es Salaam tarehe 31 Agosti wakati zikitayarishwa kusafirishwa  kwa mauzo jijini Antwerp, na maafisa wa Tanzania wakidai kutothaminishwa ipasavyo.

“Wakati Kampuni Almasi ya Williamson katika nyaraka zake kuonyesha kwamba thamani ya almasi hizo ni dola za kimarekani milioni 14.798, uthamini mpya uliofanywa na serikali umeonyesha kuwa thamani halisi ya almasi hizo ni dola za kimarekani milioni 29.5,” ilisema taarifa ya Wizara ya Fedha.

“Miongoni mwa hatua za kisheria zitakazochukuliwa ni pamoja na kutaifishwa kwa almasi hizo zilizokamatwa baada ya kuthibitika kuwepo udanganyifu uliohusishwa katika kuonyesha thamani halisi ya madini hayo.”

Tanzania imeingia mtafaruku na makampuni kadhaa ya madini ya kigeni tangu uchaguzi wa 2015 wa John Magufuli, ambaye ni Rais anaejaribu kwa nchi kupata faida ya thamani itokanayo na mali ghafi.

Serikali yake juma lililopita iligundua “makosa” katika mchakato wa hisa za serikali katika Mgodi wa Williamson uliopunguzwa kutoka 50% hadi 25%, wakati pia Magufuli alishatoa agizo la uchunguzi juu ya madai ya uthaminishwaji wa chini kwa mauzo ya almasi nje.

Kampuni ya Petra inasema haijafahamishwa rasmi sababu za uchunguzi, ingawa ilitoa nyaraka kadhaa zinazohusiana na mchakato wa uthaminishwaji na malipo kwa serikali ya Tanzania.

Kampuni hiyo imesema kuwa usafirishaji wa karati za almasi 71,645 ulipewa thamani ya awali wa karibu dola milioni 14.8 na Shirika la Uthamini wa Almasi na Vito kabla ya kuandaliwa kwa kusafirishwa nje kwa mauzo.

Nyaraka za malipo ya mrabaha kwa serikali inaonyesha malipo ya karibu dola za kimarekani 888,000 pamoja na ada ya “ukaguzi na usafirishaji” ya karibu dola za kimarekani 150,000.

Kampuni hiyo pia imesema kuwa jumla ya malipo kwa serikali inategemea kile kilichopatikana kutokana na mauzo ya vito hivyo huko Antwerp, badala ya huo uthamini wa awali.

“Utaratibu wa ushindani wa wazi kwa kandarasi unaofanywa na kampuni ya Petra pia hutumiwa na makampuni mengine ya almasi na ina rekodi iliyothibitishwa ya uwazi katika bei,” kampuni hiyo ilisema.

“kampuni ya Petra ipo tayari kushirikiana na serikali ili kutatua suala hili na kuhakikisha kwamba taarifa sahihi zinapatikana kwa pande zote.”

“Kampuni itakuwa na fursa ya kuyashughulikia masuala mengine yote yaliyoibuliwa na matokeo ya Uchunguzi wa kamati ya Bunge mara itakapopokea nakala ya ripoti.”

Kampuni imesema shughuli za madini “zinafanyika kwa uwazi na kwa kufuata sheria kamili za Tanzania na Mchakato wa Makubaliano ya Kimberley”.

“Serikali ina fursa kamili ya uangalizi wa almasi zinazozalishwa katika mgodi, ambao hudhibitiwa na wawakilishi kadhaa wa serikali kwa kushirikiana na kampuni tangu hatua ya upatikanaji hadi hatua ya uuzwaji.”

Taarifa Zaidi:   Petra Diamonds market value falls after Tanzania seizes $15m shipment

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania

Biashara ya Hisa na Dhamana imechukua ukurasa mpya nchini baada ya Exim Bank na  Wakala wa Masoko ya Hisa na Dhamana, CORE Securities Limited kukamilisha mipango ya kuunganisha shughuli zao katika Masoko haya na sasa wakisubiria baraka za Tume ya Ushindani wa Biashara.

Muungano huu utazifanya kampuni hizi kuwa na uwezo mkubwa wa kiushindani katika Masoko ya Hisa na Dhamana kwa sababu ya Mtaji kuongezeka na matawi yaliyoenea vizuri kiushindani ndani na nje ya nchi.

Kwa mujibu wa Afisa Mtendaji Mkuu wa CORE Securities Limited, George Fumbuka, Exim Bank itanunua asilimia 80 ya kampuni ya CORE Securities ili kuimarisha uwezo wake wa kiushindani na kusambaza huduma zake kiurahisi.

“Ununuzi umezingatia masuala mawili. Kwanza ni mtaji mpya unaohitajika na pili ni mtandao mzuri wa matawi  – Exim ina yote hayo,” alisema.

Alisema hamu kubwa ni kufikia wateja wengi kote nchini na kwa kuunganisha na Benki ya Exim, wataongeza ufikishwaji wa huduma katika sehemu nyingi, ambayo ni karibu matawi 30 nchini na matawi mengine sita nchini Comoro, Djibouti na sasa Uganda.

Mkurugenzi Mtendaji alisema kuwa Uwakala wa Masoko ya Hisa na Dhamana umebadilika ambapo kwa sasa Mawakala sio tu watoa huduma, bali pia hununua Hisa za Awali (IPO) na kuziuza mara thamani inapoongezeka. Alisema kuwa hicho ndicho kilichotokea wakati wa IPO ya Vodacom ambapo karibu asilimia 95 ya hisa zote zilinunuliwa na taasisi na hasa Mawakala wa kigeni wa Masoko ya Hisa na Dhamana.

“Tunahitaji mfuko wa ziada ili kuwezesha kununua hisa wakati wa IPO … na pia ada ya leseni imepanda kwa siku za hivi karibuni,” Bwana Fumbuka, Mkurugenzi Mtendaji wa Kampuni Mshindi wa Tuzo ya Wakala Bora Afrika Mashariki mwaka 2013 alisema.

Kwa mujibu wake, hapo awali kuwa Wakala wa Masoko ya Hisa na Dhamana zilihijitajika shilingi milioni 20 lakini leo zinahitajika dola za kimarekani 500,000 takribani shilingi bilioni 1.10. Kiwango cha Tanzania ni cha chini ikilinganishwa na Kenya dola za Kimarekani 800,000 (1.2 bilioni), Nigeria dola za kimarekani milioni 1.0 (2.2 bilioni) na Afrika Kusini dola za kimarekani milioni 2.0  (4.4 bilioni).

Hata hivyo, mpango mzima haujajulikana bado na hautaweza kupita bila kupata baraka za Tume ya Ushindani (FCC). FCC jana ilitoa idhini ya umma kutoa maoni ya wadau kuhusu ushirikiano huu.

“FCC kwa sasa inachunguza ushirikiano unaotarajiwa kulingana na  Sheria ya Ushindani ya mwaka 2003 na Kanuni za Ushindani za mwaka 2013,” ilisema taarifa hiyo.

Taarifa Zaidi: Dar bank plans to buy stock brokerage firm

Serikali kupitia Mapendekezo ya Sheria za Kifedha (Finance Bill 2017) imeruhusu wawekezaji wa kigeni kushiriki katika ununuzi wa hisa za awali (IPO) katika sekta ya mawasiliano, mdhibiti wa masoko ya hisa na mitaji alisema, Ijumaa.

Ruhusa hii inawawezesha wageni kushiriki pia katika hisa za awali (IPO) za Vodacom Tanzania Plc, kampuni tanzu ya Vodacom Group ya Afrika Kusini.

IPO ya Vodacom ilizinduliwa mwezi Machi na ilifunguliwa tu kwa wawekezaji wa ndani, lakini awali haikufanya vyema kutokana na hisia za ukwasi katika soko la ndani na kuongezewa muda.

Tanzania lifts ban on foreigners investing in telecom IPOs

Tanzania has lifted the banning on foreign investors participating in initial public offerings in the telecoms sector, the capital markets regulator said on Friday.

The removal of the restriction allows foreigners to take part in the IPO of Vodacom Tanzania Plc, a subsidiary of South Africa’s Vodacom Group.

The Vodacom IPO was launched in March and initially only open to local investors, but take-up has been sluggish amid concerns over adequate liquidity in the local market.

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DODOMA, Tanzania

In an unprecedented move, the government is amending the Electronic and Postal Communication Act (Epoca) 2010 with a view to allowing diverse investors take part in Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) for Telecommunication companies.

The Act, which was amended in the Finance Act, 2016 requires telecommunication companies to offload 25 per cent of their shares to Tanzanians only via IPOs and so far, it is only Vodacom Tanzania Public Limited Company (PLC) that has completed the IPO process though, it has remained mum on the outcome.

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Oliver Haill  DigitalLook Web Financial Services.     12.06.2017

Acacia Mining has been accused of operating in Tanzania illegally, as a second presidential mining committee alleged the company had been understating its level of exports for several years to avoid “tens of billions of US dollars”.

A second presidential committee set up by Tanzania’s President John Magufuli to examine London-listed Acacia’s disputed gold-copper concentrate exports accused the company of operating outside proper Tanzanian law and even of not being properly licensed to operate in the country.

At a public reading of the report in Dar es Salaam, committee chief Professor Nehemiah Osoro accused Acacia of “mining illegally” and more generally accused owners of mining companies in the country of having “committed various crimes”, while also laying blame at local officials for signing deals that allowed wide-scale tax evasion.

One of the report’s recommendations was that the Tanzanian government build smelter in order to prevent the need for it to monitor concentrate exports, something with which Acacia has previously offered to help, though analysts have said they do not think the country is producing enough concentrate to justify its own smelter.

Osoro’s recommendations also included the government taking a greater ownership in the mines, the payment of newly calculated taxes and royalties, re-negotiation of large-scale mineral development agreements and the continuation of the export ban.

Acacia refuted the allegations, countering that the report’s findings were based on those of the earlier investigation in May that the company also refutes as the findings were based on samples from 44 containers and ran counter to “more than 20 years of data”.

“Acacia strongly refutes these new unfounded accusations,” the FTSE 250 company said later on Monday. “We have always conducted our business to the highest standards and operated in full compliance with Tanzanian law.

“We re-iterate that we have declared everything of commercial value that we have produced since we started operating in Tanzania and have paid all appropriate royalties and taxes on all of the payable minerals that we produce. In addition, our published accounts are annually audited to an international standard in accordance with IFRS.”

LOST MILLIONS

Magufuli, nicknamed ‘the bulldozer’, commissioned a second presidential committee to look into the “economic and legal aspects of historic exports of metallic mineral concentrates” after an initial committee accused Acacia of under-reporting the amount of gold concentrate for export by a factor of 10.

Acacia has been banned from exporting gold/copper concentrate since March and said it is losing around $1m a month as the ban effects two of its three mines in the country.

On Monday the committee said a large number of containers were shipped from Tanzania between 1998 and 2017 without being listed and so calculated that it had lost an average of 108trn shillings (£38bn) and 188trn through gold, copper concentrates export between 1998 to 2017.

Acacia, which saw its own cash in the bank slip to $165m at the end of May from $196m at the end of the first quarter, has provided the second committee with access to each of its mine sites and all available mineral data, while arguing that the findings of the first committee “contain significant discrepancies compared to the more than 20 years of data”.

Acacia highlighted that 96% of the workers at its mines are Tanzanian and that it and its shareholders have funded $4bn of investment in the country to date.

“Acacia remains open to further dialogue with the Government regarding this issue and continues to assess all of its options. We will provide a further update to the market as soon as practical,” the company said.

Some analysts believe Acacia will have to pay a large sum to resolve the dispute, while other think the Tanzanian government’s demand may be more complicated.

It was reported on local media over the weekend that Acacia confirmed it is in the process of retrenching its workers at its mines, though mostly in the security section.

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