Govt Launches Tailor-made System To Heighten Participation Of Tanzanians In Mining Sector -

By STAFF REPORTER

THE government has launched a special digital system tailored to help attract more Tanzanians to take part in the mining sector and ensuring the involved mining companies across the country are rolling out diverse social services to the local communities through the set Social Corporate Responsibility (SCR) regulations.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the idea that a company should play a positive role in the community and consider the environmental and social impact of business decisions.

Among others, the incepted vital system aims to help the country’s mining sector to further improve and attain the much needed local content.

The Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr. Steven Kiruswa speaks during the special forum for the official launching of a special system tailored to improve local content in the country’s mining sector.

In his remarks during an event for the official launching of the helpful scheme, the Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr. Steven Kiruswa expressed that the structure will enable mining companies and service providers in the mines to submit various documents on the presentation of plans for the participation of Tanzanians in the vital sector, and the provision of services to the community in the mines electronically instead of using hard copies as it was done before.

The second forum for the implementation of strategies to heighten participation of Tanzanians in the mining sector convened in Arusha Region for two consecutive days under the coordination of the Tanzania Mining Commission (TMC), bringing together mining companies, mining service providers and financial institutions.

A cross section of different stakeholders in the country’s mining sector who took part in the special forum for the official launching of a special system tailored to improve local content in the country’s mining sector.

“The system we’re launching today will also simplify the process of processing applications submitted to the Mining Commission, whereby the responses to applications will be provided on time by experts from the Commission,” he informed.

Dr. Kiruswa observed that the move made by the government to amend the mining laws in Tanzania has so far resulted into a series of successive developments in the sector, including an increase in employment in the mines from 50 percent to at least 96 percent and domestic purchase to the tune of 92 percent.

“The development, among others stimulated major changes in the general executions of the sector including unlocking and heighten various opportunities in employment and training opportunities to locals, technology transfer, research and development, as well as use of services and products provided and produced by the Tanzanians in the sector,” he expounded.

He informed that employment for Tanzanians in large mines has increased from 6,668 in 2018 to 15,341 in 2022 with Tanzanians getting various training to build the capacity to work professionally in the sector, the works that were previously handled by foreigners.

“During 2022, a total of 8,066 Tanzanians were given various training in the mining sector and capacity building in the work performance where a total of 3.4 bn/- was spent,” he added.

Dwelling over other achievements in the sector, Dr. Kiruswa expressed that there has been an increase in domestic purchases, whereby in 2022, a total of 2.22 billion US dollars, equal to 97.4 percent of all purchases by mining companies were made using Tanzanian companies, compared to the 238.71 million US dollars (equal to 46 percent) of all purchases made in 2018.

He added that the sector has also seen an increase in local service providers in mineral mines where in 2022 they have reached 1386, equal to 81 percent, compared to 2018 where there were only 623 service providers.

The Commissioner of the Mining Commission, Janet Lekashingo, for her side said that the government through the Mining Commission was continuing to provide education in various regions of the country regarding the participation of Tanzanians in the mining sector in order to ensure more citizens participate in service delivery in the country’s mines.