DRC natural resources press review of Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Kinshasa vibrates to the rhythm of the 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government of COMESA , which opens today . Congolese media also participate in this event. For Potentiel is in Kinshasa have made ​​an appointment the member countries of the Common Market for Southern Africa ( Comesa ) for the 17th summit of the organization. This appointment is crucial, because for the foundation of a free trade area in the region , which should eventually extend to ECCAS and SADC . Addicted to over 30 % of foreign exchange earnings , the DRC will she sacrifice the survival of its economy in the name of regional integration ? Kinshasa is at the crossroads.

"Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Comesa argue for the promotion of small and medium enterprises ( SMEs) , says his side the Observateur who notes that " the promotion of SMEs within the Comesa is a priority of the 17th Summit of Heads of State of Comesa , stressed Monday, February 24 Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Comesa meeting in Kinhasa . " The bulk of the conference is expanding the economic space for SMEs is to provide more facilities to entrepreneurs , solve technical problems to give a new start to the investment" said the Mauritian Minister Arvin Booleil .

Member countries of the COMESA expose the last few days , their food, agriculture and others in Kinshasa, on the sidelines of experts and ministers of foreign affairs of their association, reports Radio Okapi. In some stands and pavilions located leather goods including handbags, shoes and cosmetics locally. These exhibitions serve to know not only the country but also their products and services they offer.
It was also about agriculture in maintaining a delegation of the German International Cooperation (GIZ ) was yesterday Tuesday, February 25, 2014 with the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Jean Chrysostome Vahamwiti as the relays Forum des As. Discussions focused on projects by GIZ in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Department in the agricultural sector . Areas of future cooperation were thus identified. The boss of Agriculture rd- Congolese expressed to the German delegation of one of the Government's priorities , namely how to deal with food insecurity. The strategy of this policy is the establishment of agro-industrial parks in targeted production areas through a public -private partnership. This partnership will involve multinational institutions , investors.

On another matter, the Potentiel announces that the General careers mines ( Gécamines ) decided to build a power plant that will produce up to 500 megawatts to fill "the gap 332 megawatts of electricity " causing "big losses copper production . " Copper production in 2013 was 980,000 t of copper cathode ( crude refined copper industrially ) for forecasts of 1.8 million tonnes , learned Lepotentielonline.com Tuesday, February 25, 2014 from official sources. " In Katanga , the deficit in electricity is 332 megawatts ( MW). 300 megawatts for the mining industry and the other 32 relate to the population , " according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Electricity . National Electricity Company ( SNEL) was supposed to " buy electricity from Zambia to offset some of the deficit ," the Congolese government had promised to " make every effort " to it " honors commitments , including the payment of current directly to Zambia . " "Do had been problems with electricity, we would reach 1.8 million tonnes ," regretted for his part, Governor of Katanga, Moïse Katumbi in January 2014.In the same area , editing Dispatches Kinshasa Brazzaville emphasizes that the DRC is its Grand Inga project . This was entrusted to News Brazzaville engineer Bernard Diayele , coordinator of the Cell Project for which the DRC holds essential to develop this item which will support the economic boom . He relativized somewhat social and environmental impacts brandished by U.S. NGOs to discourage the DRC in this initiative. As a sovereign state , he has said , the DRC must build this dam with partners available.

Such as electricity and water are always good housekeeping, Phare reports on his side that experts have finished grooming the concession contract Regideso and stresses that the experts who met in Kinshasa from 24 to 25 February 2014 were stated that the text will be sent to the government revisited for appropriate use .

Community Consortium for the prevention against exploitation of women and children working in the sites of diamond and gold in Kasai - Occidental ( Cocopef ) deplores the living conditions of families in some mines Tshikapa and Luiza , reports Radio Okapi. According to the radio , these families were expelled from Angola and live in mines transformed into villages. The communication officer Cocopef Francis Kalonga says that these makeshift villages have no health facilities and schools.
The same media reports that the fee for registration of artisanal logging has increased from U.S. $ 500 to $ 600 last week. Artisanal loggers Kisangani complain about the 20% increase that was communicated to them at the time of payment of the tax to the one-stop management of revenues from the province , says Félicien Liofo their President . But according to the provincial Minister of Finance , the tax keeps the same price. Additional $ 100 cover administrative costs. On the market, the price of wood is the same. President artisanal loggers Kisangani said that any price increase would make a disservice to the people who already faced a price increase of approximately 40% wood there two weeks ago when the provincial government had adjusted the operating license fee. Tax which amounted to U.S. $ 500 for three years was readjusted to 500 dollar a year by the current provincial government .
Apparently , there is no problem for Kibali gold project on 10 permits covering 1,836 km2 in north- eastern DR Congo , which is " on track to meet the production target of 550,000 ounces of gold in 2014 , "said February 24 Mark Bristow, CEO of Randgold Resources Ltd listed on the London and NASDAQ , reports Agence Ecofin . "We have no concerns about how the market will be in 2014, we have a robust five-year plan to create value and we would like to comply," said Mr. Bristow, Randgold noting that models based entirely on the long-term price of U.S. $ 1,000 per ounce .
By cons , there is a theft problem in the east and Radio Okapi reports that 96 cows were stolen in two months in the Rusizi plain . A group of farmers complained of the theft by strangers. These flights cows are recorded in the group Kabunambo , Runingu , Kigoma Lemera and the City of Blood. The most recent event took place two days ago in the group to Namasenene Runingu . For their part , military sources say Sange not be aware of this theft . But they promise to inquire in to take adequate measures.According to the farmers of the area , Burundian rebels of the National Liberation Front (FNL) have won seventeen cows in the group Nyamutiri Lemera .