The Minister of State for Energy, Peter Lokeris, has reiterated that the presidential directive and ban on the export of unprocessed iron ore and other minerals is still effective.

He cautioned all traders  who risk to go on black market and export unprocessed minerals that the law would catch up with them.

In February 2015, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni imposed a ban on exporting of unprocessed minerals  from Uganda to world market which has never been lifted.

Minister Lokeris made the remarks at the 27th International Conference on Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Committee meeting on combating illegal exploitation of natural resources at the Speke Resort Hotel, Munyonyo, where Uganda was awarded the ICGLR Mineral Tracking and Certificate.

Ambassador João Samuel Caholo, the Executive Secretary of ICGLR, commended Uganda for being the 5th model member state of the 12 riparian countries that attained the ICGLR Certificate after ratifying the protocol on the fight against illegal exploitation of natural resources in the region.