DRC miner SMB leaves responsible-sourcing scheme to join another
SMB has given 30 days' notice to end its contract with the ITSCI supply chain initiative, citing the scheme's rising costs
Goma/London — The Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC's) biggest miner of coltan, an ore containing metals used in cellphones, is leaving the ITSCI certification scheme relied on as a guarantee that minerals are free from human rights abuses. Societe Miniere de Bisunzu (SMB) has given 30 days' notice to end its contract with the ITSCI supply chain initiative, SMB Communications Director Philippe Stuyck said, citing the scheme's rising costs. In e-mailed statements, SMB later announced it was instead joining another scheme, the Better Sourcing programme, which was implemented by responsible-sourcing group RCS Global. "The transparency of our supply chain remains our main priority, which is why we are doing everything we can to improve and modernise it," Stuyck said. Many others in the industry have complained about ITSCI for reasons including cost but have been reluctant to pull out because of concerns they will not be able to sell their minerals without ITSCI certification. ITSCI di...
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