Commission to issue 1,000 mining licences
Tanzania’s mining commission chairman, Prof Idris Kikula, speaks at a past event. He told reporters yesterday that miner’s licences have been approved for issuance after the owners paid the preparation fee. PHOTO | FILE
Dodoma. Tanzania’s mining commission has announced it will issue 1,691 mining-related licences in one week including those of dealers and brokers which which will expire this June.
The commission chairman, Prof Idris Kikula, told reporters on Friday that 1,142 Primary Mining Licences (PML), 399 brokers licences and 150 delaers licences were approved for issuance after the owners paid the preparation fee.
The licence part of those applied before July 4, 2017 after which Tanzania suspended issuing the mining licences following changes of the mining laws and enactment of natural resource-related laws.
Last week, the commission announced to resume issuing the mining licences after nearly 10 months of halting following the regulatory framework changes.
The commission has also given 28 days for small miners to pay preparation fee for 3,252 other PMLs for it to issue them.
“It must be noted that the licences for small miners are specifically for Tanzanians, not for foreigners unless there was approved technological need from the foreign miners,” said Prof Kikula.
He said the commission was also going through the licence applications submitted after July 4, 2017.
The commission also stated that eight mining licences (MLs) which had met the criteria should be issued and seven others will be issued after settling some legal issues.
On the prospecting licences (PLs), the commission said 88 licences were done for issuance while 62 others will be issued after payment of the preparation fee.
“I remind the owners of the approved MLs and PLs to submit their local content plan, corporate social responsibility plan and integrity pledges as required by the law,” said Prof Kikula.
The commission executive secretary Prof Shukrani Manya asked licence holders to make sure that they develop their areas and failure to operate would attract default notice and later revocation of the licences.
“I would also ask the investors to have written consent with land occupants to avoid conflicts,” he said.
