Mining sector challenges in developing countries, Tigray, Ethiopia and inspirational success stories from Australia

The urge to make wealth, reduce unemployment, and improve the living conditions of its people pushes the Ethiopian Government to regulate the mining legislation to favour investment in the sector. The external perception is that some aspects of doing business in Ethiopia are too difficult, and they increase stakeholders' investment's risk and undermine potential benefits. Changes allow for business incentives that include security of tenure, the right to sell minerals, equipment and machinery's preferential duty and tax provisions, a 2%-8% production royalty, a 25% mining corporate tax, custom/duties exemptions, carry forward of losses up to ten years, and profits repatriation's structuring. Ethiopia's resource intensity trajectory is expected to take off in the coming years. However, without adequate mineral discoveries and a competitive extractive industry, it may land up in a 'Catch-22' situation. This hinders the overall progress of the country's development without realising the development of the na...