JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Australia-based junior Kibaran Resources on Tuesday reported that the Tanzanian government had approved the resettlement action plan (RAP) compensation schedules for its Epanko graphite project.
The chief valuer from the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development (MLHHSD) approved the compensation schedules, which have been subsequently signed off by the regional commissioner for the Morogoro region and also by the district commissioner for the Ulanga district.
The valuation reports contain the compensation schedules that cover all project affected areas, including the access road, mine site, associated infrastructure and resettlement area, including new farmland.
The schedules detail the compensation rates applicable to land, crops, trees and the amounts payable to each project-affected person and household.
The RAP was previously provided to the company’s proposed project lenders, MLHHSD, government chief valuer, the Ministry of Minerals, the National Environment Management Council and regional and district government authorities.
No complaints or adverse comments on the RAP have been received.
“The government approval of the valuation reports marks another milestone in the predevelopment process and is an important requirement for our proposed debt financiers,” the company noted.
Kibaran is in negotiations with Germany’s KfW IPEX-Bank, South Africa’s Nedbank and European export agency EFIC.
A bankable feasibility study estimated that the Epanko project would require a capital investment of $88.9-million.