Kabarole district is demanding for royalties from government for pozzolana mineral. Pozzolana is a fine, sandy volcanic ash used in the manufacture of cement. The mineral is mined in Harugongo and Bwanika and Bwanika parishes in Kichwamba Sub County. The miners sell the raw material to Hima Cement Factory in Kasese district. According to the Mining Act of 2003, royalties shall be shared by Government, Local Governments and lawful occupiers of the land on which the mining is taking place.
Government is entitled to 80 percent of the royalties, the Local Government is entitled to 17 percent and the owner of the land gets three percent of the royalties. The demand for the royalties comes after Kichwamba Sub County authorities complained about the roads which have been damaged by the heavy trucks which collect the mineral from the mines. In Bwanika parish, the roads are impassable, which has hindered the residents to access markets and health facilities.
Charles Businge, the LC3 chairperson Kichwamba Sub County says that the sub county repaired some roads, but after three months, they were damaged by heavy trucks. He says that some of the roads can’t be repaired by the sub county, because they lack the funds.
He says that each financial year, the sub county is allocated 12 million shillings for road repairs. Businge says that if released, the royalties would go a long way in maintaining the roads in the sub county.
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David Tumusiime, a resident of Bwanika parish says that when it rains heavy trucks still use the roads and cut off the sub county from other parts of the district. He cities the Bwanika- Harugongo road which was cut off making it difficult for residents to access Bwanika heath centre II.
He says that since Hima Cement pays taxes to the government, the government should in turn remit some money to the district.
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Moses Ikagobya, the district secretary for works says government has been promising to remit the money to the district, but it has never done so.
Ikagobya says that in the past three years, the government has remitted only 7 million shillings to the district. He states that in 2010, a fee was levied on the truck drivers, but the drivers petitioned President Museveni, who ordered the district to stop levying fees.
//Cue in: “we’re not mandated to collect…
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