From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, RMAFC, has lamented that Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners, ASMs, contribute negligible amount to the country’s account due to its informal operation mode.
Chairman of the Commission Mohammed Bello Shehu made this known at a Policy Dialogue meeting with the senate, house of representatives committee on solid minerals and stakeholders in the sector in Abuja.
He stressed that government is working tirelessly to ensure that the ASMs are formalised into cooperatives and consequently captured into the tax net.
“Despite robust activities of the ASMs, the subsector contributes negligible amount to the Federation Account due to the informal nature of operations, hence, organisations such as the UNDP, EU,. along with Government are assiduously working to ensure that the ASMs are formalised into cooperatives and consequently captured into the tax net” Shehu added.
On his part the Chairman Senate committee on Solid Minerals Development, Senator Ekong Samson said diversification of the nation’s economy must start from the sector to revamp the country GDP earnings.
Senator Samson stressed that the nation cannot continue to depend on a mono economy hence the need for the diversification of the nation growth.
Senator Samson explained that the time has come for the nation to explore the abundance mineral resources laying fallow under the nation’s soils.
Also, the chairman House of Representatives committee on solid minerals, Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi described the mining policy as a major circular emphasized that it would help in sanitizing the sector for the benefits of Nigerians.
In her presentation, Acting director planing research and statistics RMAFC, Dr Rosetta Adiotomre Iyere said the policy would help in developing a frame work for solid minerals development to increase revenue to Federal, State and local government.
In his welcome address chairman, Research and Development (R&D) committee of the Commission, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin said the commission has formalised one hundred and twenty Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners (ASMs) in to six cooperative societies.
Earlier in his welcome address chairman, Research and Development (R&D) committee of the Commission, Chief Tokunbo Ajasin said the commission has formalised one hundred and twenty Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners (ASMs) in to six cooperative societies.
He added that the commission is currently working to register the Cooperatives with the Zonal Mines Office in Plateau State.