Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) on Tuesday expressed its concern about illegal mining in Cabo Delgado province, financed by foreign traders, stressing that this activity exploits and endangers young people, including children.

According to the mining company, illegal mining in the region puts pressure on local communities and deprives Mozambique of much-needed tax revenue from its mineral resources.

The concern was raised during a meeting in which MRM had the opportunity to discuss the course of its operations, relations with local communities, interaction with workers and the challenges posed by illegal mining with the governor of Cabo Delgado, Valige Tauabo.

On the occasion, the governor, quoted by AIM, called MRM the most transparent mining project in Cabo Delgado, due to the introduction of proactive tax declaration initiatives and the sharing of information about operations.

In this context, he gave the example of the "G-Factor for Natural Resources", an indicator of the percentage of earnings from natural resources paid to the host government, as well as the consistent and public sharing of information on auctions.