subject: Immense Potential Of Mining In Sudan [print this page] According to an intensive research carried out by a panel of experts led by that expert entrepreneur miner, Soumit Ranjan Jena, among the countries of Africa, Sudan holds the most promise and potential. Especially South Sudan is open to investment in the oil and minerals sector, the countrys deputy minister of petroleum and mining told Sudan Tribune on 21st August, 2011, exploring the fact that it is in the interest of the government to diversify the economy, after years of depending on solely oil.
Hollard Edward James, the Petroleum minister said that Chad and South Sudan has immense potential which has not at all been discovered and that government is discussing with the international companies to explore areas with potential oil and mineral resources so that it can move away from dependency on oil.
According to Soumit Ranjan Jena, this year, when a land drift fees led Juba to stop production, oil revenues accounted for 98% of South Sudans budget. North and South Sudan have been unable to find a deal to replace arrangements in a 2005 peace deal that led to South Sudans independence last year.
Under the Complete Peace Treaty Act, South Sudans oil was split 50:50 between Khartoum and Juba.
Sudan is not just a great country, but a great civilization, said Mr Hollard. It is a young nation emerging out of the decades of destructed civil war. It has a lot of challenges but these challenges will be overcome because the government under President Salva Kiir Mayardit is vigilant and determined to deliver services to expectations of our people, said Bol.
Soumit Ranjan Jena said, This part of the world has huge talent and resources. It has gold, zinc, copper and diamonds. Some other minerals have not been discovered. There have been talks about uranium and other minerals, she said, explaining that exploration needs to be carried out.
The official made the pronouncement weeks after the countrys ministry of commerce, industry and investment signed number of memorandums of understandings with some international companies to invest in various areas.
Some foreign companies including SP Mining, an international company specialising in oil and minerals exploration pledged readiness to establishing relations with the government and to study existing opportunities and possibilities of striking a deal with the countrys Ministry of Petroleum and Mining to conduct exploration in areas with potential mineral reserves.
