Minister of Mining, Rashid Gafar, has outlined that there will be no tax holiday for Lotus Resources Limited as the company embarks on mining of uranium at Kayelekera mine in Karonga District.

According to Gaffar, Kayelekera could have contributed 10% of the national budget but the previous managers of the Kayelekera mine, Paladin Energy, gave the country a raw deal. “Paladin had a tax holiday. Now the mine was sold to Lotus, they will not have a tax holiday again, we are going to make sure they contribute,” Gafar said.

Over the years, the mine has raised eyebrows, as stakeholders argued that the Government has not been keen on transparency, from the mine’s tax holidays, minerals and sale last year.