The World Bank estimates that Africa's exports fell by 2% in 2008, whilst sub-Saharan Africa's share of global trade has fallen from a high of 6% to 1,5% over the past three decades. It is further estimated that both imports and exports as a percentage of GDP have fallen, but exports more dramatically. It is therefore clear that we should not be introducing measures with the unintended consequence of killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs. With the price of commodities falling as dramatically as it did, the necessity of introducing sound measures to stimulate the sector in an ever-increasing competitive mining environment is of utmost importance.