Zimbabwe wants half of royalties paid in gems, precious metals
Zimbabwe wants gold, diamond and platinum miners to pay half of their royalties to the government in the commodities themselves and the rest in cash, as the southern African country seeks to build its mineral reserves. The Treasury was concerned that the country does not have reserves of the minerals, which “serve as a source of trust in a country given that they carry no credit or counter party risks,” Secretary for Finance George Guvamatanga said in a letter sent to the Ministry of Mines on Sept. 2 and seen by Bloomberg.