Addis Ababa, Monday, 18 July 2011 - Ethiopia earned 175 million dollars from the export of 3.6 tonnes of gold (153 million dollars) and 187 tonnes of tantalum (22.5 million dollars) in the fiscal year to 7 July 2011. All the gold was exported by MIDROC Gold, a subsidiary company of MIDROC Ethiopia, Gebregzabher Mekonnen, mining licensing and supervision core process owner with the Ministry of Mines, said. According to Gebregzabher, the Ministry of Mines collected 104 million birr in royalty fees 98 million birr of which was paid by MIDROC Gold. The ministry granted this year 54 licences for mineral exploration. Three quarters of the licences are for the exploration of gold. The sole producer of tantalum in Ethiopia is the Ethiopian National Minerals Development Enterprise whose exploration site is at Kenticha, Borena. Artisanal miners also produce tantalum in the Borena Zone. MIDROC Gold has discovered a new gold reserve around Metekel in the Benishangul Gumuz Regional State. In a related development, artisan miners produced and supplied about 7,000 kg of gold to the National Bank of Ethiopia in the fiscal year to 7 July 2011. The amount has increased by 144 percent from their output of 2,866kg of gold the previous fiscal year according to Sinkinesh Ejigu, Minister of Mines. (waltainfo.com)
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