Temporary Ban on Gold Concentrate Export Postponed to July 1
Kyrgyzstan Delays Temporary Ban on Gold Ore and Gold Concentrate Export
Kyrgyzstan has made the decision to postpone the implementation of a temporary ban on the export of gold ore and gold concentrate from the country until July 1, according to a report by the Bulletin of the Gold Producer. The decision comes following a decree issued by President Sadyr Japarov.
Originally, the ban was set to take effect on May 1, 2023, as per a decree dated October 26, 2022. However, in April of last year, the introduction of the ban was postponed to December 31, 2023. It is expected that the temporary ban will be extended every six months by the Cabinet of Ministers.
Kara-Balta Mining Plant OJSC, the refinery granted exclusive rights to process gold ore and gold concentrate in Kyrgyzstan, had initially faced challenges in introducing ore and concentrate processing capacity. However, in September 2022, the plant resumed processing of gold ore with a production capacity of 100 tons of ore for leaching, 500 tons for cleaning (ore and concentrate), and 20 tons of concentrate per day. Plans were also in place to launch the processing complex in Chui region at full capacity by March 2023, with further aims to increase the plant’s capacity to 5,000 tons of raw materials per day in the future.
The history of the Kara-Balta Mining Plant dates back to its founding in 1955, where it specialized in processing uranium concentrate. Refining facilities were built on its territory in 1992, and in 2001, refining and gold ore production were transferred to Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC. Following the acquisition of a state-owned stake of 72.28 percent of shares by Russian Ural Platina Holding in 2007, the plant ceased production in February 2016. Bankruptcy proceedings were initiated against the enterprise last year, and at the end of December 2023, Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC was awarded land plots belonging to the Kara-Balta Mining Plant for free use for 49 years by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The decision to delay the ban on the export of gold ore and gold concentrate is likely to have a significant impact on the mining and processing industry in Kyrgyzstan.
