More Than 3,000 Titles For Persons Resettled By Bauxite Companies

More than 3,000 certificates of title are scheduled to be delivered to persons resettled by bauxite mining companies.

Minister of Transport and Mining, Hon. Audley Shaw, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on April 27.

He said that during 2021, the bauxite companies delivered 116 titles to resettled persons, bringing the total number of titles issued since 2012 to 1,333, with another 119 titles being prepared for transfer.

“The target for 2022 is the delivery of 300 titles, and the bauxite mining companies are being encouraged to utilise all available modalities to implement the transfer of titles. It should also be noted that mined-out bauxite lands, whether owned by the bauxite companies or by the Commissioner of Lands, are usually reallocated by way of lease or sale, in keeping with established provisions,” Mr. Shaw said.

Meanwhile, in 2021, Concord Resources acquired the bauxite and alumina operations of New Day Aluminum LLC, which operates the Discovery Bay bauxite mines and the alumina refinery at Gramercy, USA.

Mr. Shaw informed that Concord has since rebranded to Atlantic Alumina Company Limited and is now the operating partner of the Noranda Jamaica Bauxite Partnership II at Discovery Bay.

“In December, the profit-sharing fiscal regime for that bauxite operation came to an end. Both the Ministry of Transport and Mining and the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service are in the process of negotiating a new Bauxite Production Levy-based fiscal regime with the company and reviewing the model, so as to modernise the parameters,” he noted.

On another matter, United Company RUSAL (UC RUSAL), late last year, began making payments towards the US$35 million in Bauxite Production Levy owed for the period April 2018 to September 2021.

Between November 2021 and March 2022, approximately 45 per cent of the outstanding amount was paid to the Capital Development Fund.

In addition, Mr. Shaw said a structured plan for payment of the remaining amount has been developed.