A total of 4,652 mining exploration licences were issued by the government of Tanzania in the financial year 2020/2021. According to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, the government is committed to continue prioritising small and medium scale miners by allocating mining plots and providing them with the needed technological support in the upcoming fiscal year 2021/2022.
“The government has managed to strengthen mineral trading centres, a move that has played a great role in curbing smuggling of gemstones and thus enabling the country to benefit from the natural wealth. Until February 2021, a total of US $172.2m being 72% of the US $236.2m target was collected out of the mineral business,” he said when tabling the 2021/2022 budget estimates in parliament.
He further mentioned that the government would continue taking initiatives to improve the sector, adding that in the year 2019, performance of the mining sector grew by 17.7% as a result of leading in the foreign export as well as increased government revenue.
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Key achievements
According Mr. Majaliwa, one among the key achievements in the mining sector was the obtaining of the biggest Tanzanite gemstones of 9.27 kg, 6.33kg and 5.27kg worth of US $5.4m by one of the Mirerani based small scale miner, Mr. Saniniu Laizer. “The government efforts have seen an increase of mining markets from 28 to 39 while Mining trading centres have been increased from 28 to 41 between January 2020 and February 2021,” he said.
He further added that the markets have increased competence and opened the mineral business; curb smuggling and ensured safety of sellers and buyers. This has enabled the government to increase revenue collection.
