BISIE TIN PROJECT
Creating an industry As a mining company , the ability to influence a surrounding environment is enormous . This influence can be dictated by a wide range of inputs that need to be supplied or , in what Kamstra describes as “ reverse engineering ”, by creating industries .
“ As an example , if your workforce requires a uniform , then as a company you can source this locally , bring in the material and create sewing groups . That right there is work for the community brought upon by you as a company ,”
“ The more your business is integrated into the area you ’ re operating in , the more robust your business model ,” says Kamstra .
As a mineral production company Alphamin , like many within the eastern DRC , is regulated through conflict mineral legislation . Conflict mineral legislation is in place as due diligence guidance for responsible mineral supply chains . For Kamstra , Conflict Mineral legislation is instrumental in creating opportunity that he believes Alphamin can fulfil . “ Tin is a strange commodity in many ways in that there are not many mines that can produce it ,” he says .
“ There ’ s quite a big artisanal production with very few smelters that can upgrade it and yet tin in minute quantities makes up things on your desk , cell phones , computers , cars etc . many of those are made by very large corporates , such as Apple or Microsoft for example .”
Kamstra believes that as a result of this there is a constriction in the supply chain , constriction that can be squeezed if there are problems in the supply of the material . For the larger corporations such as Apple , Microsoft and Samsung complying with conflict mineral legislation can prove difficult and the Conflict Free sourcing initiative is in place to assist those companies in finding smelters and refiners validated as “ conflict free ”.
Constriction and conflict free Alphamin will be presented with an opportunity to provide the Conflict Free Sourcing Initiative with a mine plan which will show a full breakdown of how much tin Alphamin will extract as well as a metals balance throughout the plant . This allows Alphamin to verify all of the tin that is produced from the plant .
“ This makes it very simple for us as
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