Mineral and petroleum resources royalty act : the impact on the fiscal and mining industry in South Africa

Abstract

The implementation of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Royalty Act was anticipated to have a significant impact on the South African economy and mining industry.

The mineral royalty is an effective instrument in the collection of compensation for extraction of mineral resources that cannot be renewed. An overview of the development, evolution and application of the mineral royalty indicated that the newly enacted Mineral and Petroleum Resources Royalty Act has constituted a more formal regulative system in determining the royalty amount payable. Various fundamental principles have been established in the act, such as distinguishing between refined and unrefined mineral resources, different royalty formulae to be applied to each of mineral resources and circumstances resulting in a mineral royalty obligation.

The South African mining industry has been a cornerstone in forming the economy for many years. The industry has on average contributed approximately 8.8% directly to the country’s gross domestic product during 2011. The potential impact by the new royalty reform was predicted by researchers to impact mining operations’ profitability between 2% and 5%, whilst the sector’s contribution to total taxes was expected to rise by 8%.

The actual impact of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Royalty Act on the country’s fiscal and mining industry was reviewed to determine just how many circumstances have changed in South African mining, if any. The research study has found that although there has been an impact it was not as significant as anticipated. Die implementering van die Minerale en Petroleum Reserwes Tantieme Wet sou na verwagting ‘n groot impak op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie en die mynbedryf hê.

Minerale tantieme is ‘n doeltreffende instrument in die invordering van vergoeding vir die ontginning van minerale hulpbronne wat nie hernu kan word nie. ‘n Ondersoek oor die ontwikkeling, evolusie en toepassing van minerale tantieme het aangedui dat die onlangse Wet op Minerale en Petroleum Reserwes Tantieme ‘n meer formele regulerende stelsel teweeggebring het in die bepaling van tantieme betaalbaar. Verskeie fundamentele beginsels word onderskryf deur die Wet, soos die onderskeid tussen verwerkte en onverwerkte minerale hulpbronne, verskillende tantieme formules toepaslik op elk van die minerale hulpbronne en omstandighede wat lei tot ‘n mineraal tantiem verpligting.

Die Suid-Afrikaanse mynbedryf was ‘n hoeksteen in die ontwikkeling van die ekonomie vir baie jare. Die bedryf het gemiddeld ongeveer 8.8% direk bygedra tot die land se bruto binnelandse produk gedurende 2011. Navorsers het voorspel dat die potensiële impak van die nuwe mineraalhervorming mynbou se winsgewendheid met tussen 2% en 5% sou beïnvloed, terwyl die sektor se bydrae tot die totale belasting na verwagting sou styg met 8%.

Die werklike impak van die Mineraal en Petroleum Reserwes Tantieme Wet op die land se ekonomie en mynbedryf was hersien om vas te stel presies hoeveel omstandighede verander het in Suid-Afrikaanse mynbou, indien enige. Die studie het bevind dat selfs al het die nuwe tantieme stelsel ‘n impak gemaak op Suid-Afrika, dit nie so wesenlik was soos verwag nie.