Umuyobozi Mukuru w’ikigo cy’igihugu gishinzwe mine, peteroli na gazi, Ambasaderi Yamina Kalitanyi, yavuze ko isinywa ry’aya maserano riri mu murongo wa guverinoma wo kuvugurura ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro.

Yagize ati “Gukorana na Rio Tinto kujyanye na gahunda y’u Rwanda yo kuvugurura urwego rw’ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro. Aya masezerano ni kimwe mu bikorwa byacu byo kongera no gushyira ubucukuzi ku rwego rugezweho, bigendanye n’ibipimo bya ESG.”

Umuyobozi wa Tinto ushinzwe abakiliya ku rwego mpuzamahanga, Lawrence Dechambenoit, yatangaje ko iki kigo cyiteguye kwifashisha ubunararibonye bwacyo mu gushakisha no gucukura Lithium mu Rwanda.

Yagize ati “Rito Tinto yishimiye gukorana na guverinoma y’u Rwanda, ikifashisha uburararibonye ifite ku rwego mpuzamahanga mu kongera imbaraga mu gushaka aho Lithium y’ibanze iherereye mu ntara y’Uburengerazuba.”

Rio Tinto ni ikigo cy’Abongereza n’Abanya-Australia cyashinzwe mu 1873. Cyatangiriye ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro ku mugezi utukura (Red River) muri Espagne, ukaba ari na wo gikomoraho izina. Ubu gikorera mu bihugu 35 ku mugabane itandukanye.

Lithium ni ibuye risa n’isarabwayi ryavumbuwe n’umuhanga mu Butabire ukomoka muri Suède, Johan August Arfvedson, mu 1817.

Iri buye ntiryahabwaga agaciro mu myaka mike ishize bitewe n’uko nta nganda zayikeneraga cyane. Bamwe bayibonaga mu butaka, ntibayiteho, n’aho yakenerwaga ikagurishwa amafaranga make.

Mu Ukuboza 2020, ikilo cyayo cyagurishwaga byibuze Amadolari 9 ariko muri Mata 2021 igiciro cyazamutseho 600%, bitewe ahanini n’ubwiyongere bw’ikorwa rya batiri zishyirwa mu modoka zikoresha umuriro w’amashanyarazi.

Umuyobozi Mukuru wungirije wa RMB, Dr Ivan Twagirashema, mu kiganiro yagiranye na IGIHE mu 2022, yatangaje ko abacukuzi bo mu Rwanda bajugunyaga iri buye mu bisigazwa, biza guhinduka ubwo hakorwaga imodoka nyinshi zikoresha umuriro w’amashanyarazi.

Yagize ati “Uyu munsi toni y’ariya mabuye atayunguruye iragenda ku 2000$ cyangwa 3000$ harimo Lithium iri ku kigero cy’8%.”

Ukwiyongera kw’agaciro ka Lithium kwatumye u Rwanda rutegura umushinga wo kuyicukura no kubaka inganda zayungurura ifu yayo, cyane ko rwasanze iri mu bice byinshi by’igihugu, uhereye mu karere ka Ngororero.

Dr Twagirashema yagize ati “Mu mezi ari imbere natwe dushobora gutangira kohereza hanze ya fu ya Lithium iyunguruye, yishyurwe amafaranga menshi, inazamure umusoro imbere mu gihugu.”

Tariki ya 3 Nyakanga 2023, Perezida Paul Kagame yakiriye mu biro bye Umuyobozi Mukuru wa Rio Tinto, Dominic Barton, baganira ku buryo u Rwanda n’iki kigo byakwifatanya mu bucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro.

Rio Tinto ikorera mu bihugu 35 ku Isi birimo Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, Australia, Canada, Afurika y’Epfo, New Zealand, Mongolia, Madagascar na Iceland.

Iki kigo gicukura amabuye y’ubwoko butandukanye burimo, Zahabu, Umuringa, Diyama, Scandium, Aluminum, umunyu…na Lithium, kandi cyifashisha ibikoresho bihambaye bitahura aho aherereye n’ibigifasha kuyacukura.

Kirasobanura ko umucukuzi adashobora kubona Lithium yonyine, ahubwo ko iba iri kumwe n’andi mabuye, bityo bikaba bisaba ko kuyitandukanywa n’andi hifashishijwe uburyo bwihariye bw’iyungurura.

Muri raporo iki kigo cyashyize hanze mu 2022, cyatangaje ko mu mikorere yacyo, giharanira kubahiriza amahame ya ESG agamije kubungabuhanga ibidukikije, kubahiriza uburenganzira bw’abakozi n’abaturage no kugira imiyoborere myiza.

Iti “Twibanda ku kuba umufatanyabikorwa mwiza ku bantu b’aho dukorera, tukavugurura uburyo bwacu bwo kubungabunga umutekano no kubahiriza ibyo dusabwa buri munsi. Ikindi twibandaho ni ukugabanya ibyago n’iyangirika ry’ibidukikije aho dukorera, tukanashyira mu bikorwa gahunda yacu yo kubungabunga ikirere.”

Imikorere ya Rio Tinto igaragazwa n’iyi nyandiko ijyanye na gahunda ya Guverinoma y’u Rwanda yo kuvurura urwego rw’ubucukuzi bw’amabuye y’agaciro.