Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday August 02, 2023
Tanzania Mining Law Under Review
The Ministry of Mineral has invited stakeholders in the mining sector to submit proposals for the amendment of The Mining Act [CAP 123] and its regulations.
The Mining Act [CAP 123] provides for the regulation of mining activities in the country, including prospecting, mining, processing, and dealing in minerals. The Act also provides for grant, tenure, terms and conditions, renewal and termination of mineral rights, payment of various taxes, fees, duties, royalties, and other applicable charges.
According to the Minister of Mineral, some of the key areas that this exercise will expound on include: The Mining (Mirerani Controlled Area) Regulations; The Mining (Mineral and Gem Houses) Regulations; The Mining (Mineral rights) (Amendment) Regulations; Mining (Value Addition) Regulation 2020 among others.
The first stakeholders meeting was held yesterday at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) led by Simanjiro District Commissioner, Dr Suleiman Serera.
Proposals were discussed around The Mining (State Participation) Regulations of 2022, the regulation that requires every mining company or person holding a Mining Licence (ML) or Special Mining Licence (SML) in Tanzania to form a joint venture (JV) arrangement with the Government in which government must have 16% and above non-dilutable free carried interest (FCI) shares.
Other items that were discussed yesterday include the Mirerani Controlled Area Regulations, The Mining (Mineral rights) (Amendment) Regulations and the Mineral Trading Regulations.
While it’s usual for the government to invite public input when a certain bill has been tabled in parliament, the Minister of Minerals Doto Biteko explain that they have decided that ‘it was not a good approach to sit alone in their offices and just bring a bill to stakeholders’.
Stakeholders have been advocating for amendment of several legislations in the mining sector which make the mining sector unattractive for investment.
Tanzania Seeks Funding to Support Influx of Refugees from DRC Congo
Authorities in Tanzania have made an appeal to development partners and donors to support the influx of new refugees arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Sudi Mwakibasi, the Director of the Refugee Services Department in the Ministry of Home Affairs, expressed their urgent need for financial assistance.
“We have received 11,000 refugees from DRC Congo, we have no funding at the moment to serve them. We had to resort to the normal budget which is heavily constrained in supporting the health and well-being of refugees in their camp,” underscored Mr Mwakibasi.
Mr. Mwakibasi further emphasized that the pace of voluntary returns of refugees to their home countries has been hindered due to the lack of funding.
In May this year, the World Food Programme announced that it was going to slash food ration for refugees in Tanzania due to a critical funding shortage.
Moreover, last year, the UNHCR reported an unprecedented funding gap of US $700 million in its budget, posing a potential catastrophe for millions who rely on their support.
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