坦桑尼亚强制要求政府持16%股权 与海外矿企矛盾再升温

坦桑尼亚周二修改采矿税法，对海外矿企施加了更大压力。新采矿法强制性要求坦桑尼亚政府持有采矿项目16%的股权，同时也提高了出口的特许权使用费。

　　坦桑尼亚国家新闻办公室表示，议会一致通过了该项法案。

　　此前，另有两项法律于周一通过，赋予这个资源丰富的东非国家能够撕毁与重新谈判天然气或矿产等自然资源的合同的权利，以及取消国际仲裁的权利。

　　这些法案于上周四出台并被迅速通过，尽管代表这些外国矿业公司的协会曾要求希望给予更多的宽限时间。

　　根据新的法律文书规定，“在采矿许可证或特殊采矿许可证下的任何采矿作业中，政府无偿持有且未被稀释的矿业公司的股份不得少于16%。” 同时，政府还保留了进一步增持公司股份的余地。

　　“除无偿持有的股份外，政府还有权获得矿业公司50%的股份以抵消政府为支持矿业公司而产生的总税收支出。”

　　目前，政府没有做进一步地解释，但业内消息人士表示，他们认为该法案意味着政府可能会在公司中进一步增持矿企股份，以用股份来填补所谓矿企欠税的缺口。

　　政府官员尚未置评。

　　坦桑尼亚总统John Magufuli曾指责大型采矿公司逃税，但矿企却一再否认这点。周二他在公开集会上表示，坦桑尼亚正在经历一场经济战争。

　　“因采矿业大规模逃税事件，迫使我国不得不尽快通过法律，以改善现状。”

　　税收上涨风险

　　新法律同时将黄金、铜、白银、铂金出口的特许权使用费从4%提高到6%。将铀的出口使用费从5%提高到6%。

　　法律还允许政府在认为价格过低的情况下拒绝公司的估值，政府被赋权可根据报价购买矿石。

　　据新的法律文案所述，“为了计算应付的特许权使用费，政府有权拒绝估价。如果政府拒绝估价，可以选择以低价购买矿石。”

　　坦桑尼亚最大的矿企ACAcia，由BArrick GOLD持多数股权。Acacia周二表示，仲裁通知被传递至公司旗下的Bulyanhulu和Buzwagi矿业公司，这两家矿企均受到了出口禁令的打击。

　　“这次通知的送达是出于保护公司的需要。” Acacia表示。

　　（上海有色网 许慧梅翻译）

   原文如下：

　　Tanzania turns up heat on overseas miners with state stake law

　　Tanzania put more pressure on foreign mining companies on Tuesday by amending mining and tax laws to make it mandatory for the state to own at least 16 percent of mining projects, while also raising export royalties.

　　Parliament passed the bill unanimously, the state-run Tanzania InforMATion Services said.

　　This followed two other laws passed on Monday giving the resource-rich East African nation the right to tear up and renegotiate contracts for natural resources like gas or minerals, and removing the right to international arbitration.

　　The bills were introduced on Thursday and rapidly passed, despite pleas for more time from an association representing mining companies.

"In any mining operations under a mining licence or a special mining licence, the government shall have not less than 16 （percent） non-dilutable free-carried interest shares in the capital of a mining company," the text of the new law says.

　　The government also left itself scope to further increase its stake in the companies.

　　"In aDDition to the free carried interest shares, the government shall be entitled to acquire, in total, up to 50 percent of the shares of the mining company commensurate with the total tax EXPEnditures incurred by the government in favour of the mining company."

　　There was no further explanation from the government, but industry sources said they believed the bill meant the government might take further shares in companies that it accused of owing taxes, in lieu of the money owed.

　　Government officials were not available for comment.

　　President John Magufuli has accused larGE mining companies of evADIng taxes, charges they deny. At a public rally on Tuesday, he said Tanzania was fighting an economic war.

　　"We couldn't wait to pass the laws because of the large scale theft taking place in the mining sector," he said.

　　RISING ROYALTIES

　　The new law also raises royalties from gold, coPPer, silver and platinum exports to six percent from four percent. It increases the royalty on uranium exports from five percent to six percent.

　　The law also allows the government to reject a company's valuation if it believed the price was too low. The government would be entitled to buy the consignment of minerals at the price quoted.

　　"For the purposes of calculating the amount of royalties payable, the government shall be entitled to reject the valuation," the text of the new law said.

　　"Where the government rejects the valuation, it shall have the option to buy the minerals at the low value."

　　Tanzania's largest miner Acacia, majority owned by Barrick Gold （ABX.TO）, said on Tuesday that notices of arbitration were served on behalf of companies that own its Bulyanhulu and Buzwagi mines, which have been hit by an export ban.

　　"The serving of the notices at this time is necessary to protect the Company," Acacia said.