Nairobi, March 11 -- The government earnings from the Kwale titanium mine run by Australian-owned Base Titanium nearly halved in the six months to December 2023 on reduced production as the operation winds down to its planned closure at the end of this year.

Financial filings by Base Resources, the Perth-based parent of Base Titanium, indicate that the company paid the government a total of Sh2.09 billion ($14.61 million) in royalties and taxes in the period, down from Sh3.94 billion ($27.6 million) in the corresponding period in 2022.

Withholding taxes on a dividend paid by the Kenyan subsidiary to its parent accounted for the largest share of the government's earnings from Base Titanium in the period, at Sh856.8 million ($6 million). ...