Johannesburg - Zimbabwe is considering increasing diamond
mining application fees to $1m (about R8m), Harare's Herald Online reported
on Friday.
It said Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu
made the announcement on Thursday. He was briefing players in the mining
sector.
"We have been in talks with our principals (of the
inclusive government) on the issue of increasing application fees for diamond
mining to $1m and they have been agreeable," the minister was quoted as
saying.
"We also intend to increase licensing fees for new
diamond miners up to $5m (about R40m), as well as introduce fees that will be
charged for certain mineral blocks."
Mpofu said the new fees would also be applicable to current
operators and would be backdated.
"The period where foreign miners exploit our resources
for next to nothing is over."
The move was part of broader initiatives by the government
to gain leverage on its key natural resources, the Herald reported.