Mining conference agrees on nine resolutions to take sector forward

 

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa speaks when closing the Fourth International Mineral and Mining Investment Conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday. PHOTO | MICHAEL MATEMANGA

By Alex Nelson Malanga

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Dar es Salaam. Minerals stakeholders yesterday came up with nine resolutions aimed at boosting the growth of the mining sector.

The resolutions that were read by the Commissioner for Minerals, Dr Abdulrahaman Mwanga, during the Fourth International Mineral and Mining Investment Conference include allowing miners to use a single license in trading different minerals.

Now, one needs to have various licenses to trade various minerals, a situation that stakeholders critised, saying it was creating unnecessary bureaucracy and taking up operational costs when it came to license annual fee.

Dr Mwanga mentioned other resolutions as the need for the government to use its network with other countries to seek trade opportunities for industrial minerals.

Again, he said the government should conduct a geological research to determine the amount and quality of the available minerals, a move that will help citizens and financial institutions to have proper planning and invest in.

The list also include the need for the government to cooperate with the President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG) and the ministry of Finance and Planning committee to work on the new levies that were being charged by the councils, of which stakeholders cried foul over on the grounds that were increasing operational costs.

Dr Mwanga went further, noting that the government needed to finalise the establishment of the Geological Registrar Board to oversee the principles of the professionalism in question.

Further, the government should prepare a system that will be embracing the value addition on tanzanite, and work closely with small-scale miners in addressing the challenge of access to capital.

The government should continue providing education on the minerals rights and surface rights and finding solutions for conflicts triggered by the confusion of the two rights.

Giving his closing remarks of the two-day conference that brought together over 2,000 participants who participated physically and virtually, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the government was more than willing to work on the resolutions.

He said the government would do anything, even if it was to amend some laws that seem to be an impediment, only to create a friendly business environment that would take the mining sector to the apex and thus increase its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“We will do whatever it takes to realise our dream of increasing the contribution of the mining sector to the GDP from the current 7.9 percent to 10 percent by 2025,” committed the premier, who was the chief guest.

For this to happen, he urged large investors to link small-scale miners to lucrative markets.

Speaking earlier, Minerals minister Doto Biteko assured miners that they had the government’s back and that they would do whatever it takes to create a friendly business environment.

Responding to the question on why Tanzania was issuing permits for salt imports despite the country being endowed with abundant salt, he said, currently demand was higher than supply.

Dr Biteko said demand stood at 250,000 tonnes per annum against the production of 120,000 tonnes.

“If we stop importing, how will we bridge the deficit gap?” he questioned, noting, however, that the government will do something to ensure that all salts produced locally get to market.