Industry players argue that the cost of power is the real cause of the sector’s decline, not ore prices.
Tharisa Chief Operations Officer, Michelle Taylor says engagements with government are ongoing.
“In our view, it doesn’t benefit them because their issue is not chrome feedstock or the price of chrome ore or the volume of chrome ore available to them. They’ve got more than sufficient. What makes them not competitive is electricity tariffs,” she said.
“We’ve seen electricity tariffs increase by some 900% since 2008. So when you then go to, say, impose a chrome tax, you’ve got to say, well, all right, well, who’s going to consume that chrome tax? Who’s going to absorb it and who’s going to pay it?,” she asked.
–SABC-
