Sudan says 2015 YTD gold production reached 54 tonnes

September 9, 2015 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese minister of minerals Ahmed Mohamed Sadiq al-Karuri announced that the country’s gold production amounted to 54 tonnes in the past eight months with 10 tonnes of that coming from companies and the remaining from traditional mining.

The East African nation emerged as one of the top gold producers in the continent which helped it make up for the budget deficit it incurred as a result of losing three quarters of its oil production due to the secession of South Sudan in July 2011.

It is believed that traditional mining employs more than a million Sudanese but it is still difficult to obtain credible data.

The minister said in statements after a field visit to Northern state on Wednesday where he inspected markets and al-Suhoor mining company that production of gold and other metals experienced a significant increase.

Last March the ministry said it expects gold production for 2015 to reach 80 tonnes and to hit 100 tonnes in 2016.

Al- Karuri explained that a number of companies began to gradually enter the production phase adding that this would reflect positively upon the Sudanese economy.

The minister declared that regulating traditional mining operations has reached its final stages in 13 states and that four of them were chosen for implementation of a pilot scheme for collection of duties which would be shared between the state and the central government.

(ST)