DRC finance minister talks mining, smuggling and building batteries
Nicolas Kazadi, the Democratic Republic of Congo's finance minister, tells the FT Commodities Global Summit that DRC must export more products and fewer raw materials. FT energy correspondent Tom Wilson also asks him about relations with China, tensions with Rwanda and attitudes to the...
Full transcript available.
15:53 minute mark the mention of AVZ.
"To move to another mineral which Congo has and which is probably also in my phone, lithium. Congo has got a big potential lithium project in Manono. It's also been in the news for various reasons. There's been a dispute with one of the owners, AVZ Minerals. As I understand it their licence has been cancelled. Can you tell us anything about what Congo plans for that deposit?
Yes. That was done a bit... it was not very, very transparent. It was not to the best of our interests as a country. That's why we went back to it. But I would... I don't like to say more on that because it is still on."
So the answer is very interesting.. It was not very transparent and not to the best of our interests as a country ..
So are they saying they are actually holding it up as it's going to be rewarding enough for them or something else? Why wouldn't it be in their best interests? What the heck??
IMHO - The DRC government want a big slice of the warm apple pie that AVZ will be baking.. hence our hold up!