The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned miners from exporting copper and cobalt concentrates, in a bid to encourage them to process and refine the product at home.
Government reports said this was part of the country’s effort to retain more revenue from its vast mineral wealth.
The order also provides for new taxes on economically important by-products of mining.
The ban takes effect immediately but the new by-product tax regime has a three-month transition period.
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The Congo is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and second largest supplier of copper, both of which are in high demand globally.
They are used in many different products such as electronics, rechargeable batteries, motors and generators.
The mining sector is the engine of the DRC’s economy, contributing roughly half of the country’s estimated GDP of $10.9 billion.
