TANZANIA has invited mining investors from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as both countries plan to host mining forums and joint strategies in curbing smuggling in the sector.
Minister for Minerals, Angela Kairuki (pictured) said this on Friday, as she introduced the visiting Minister of Mines from DRC, Mr Martin Kabwelulu, who was in the country for experience-sharing mission.
Ms Kairuki said Tanzania was privileged to collaborate with DRC, which is known worldwide for having a vibrant mining sector, saying the tour of the Minister will help boost bilateral cooperation in the sector.
"So, I take this opportunity to invite Congolese investors in the mining sector, particularly in the crucial area of processing as Tanzania builds more capacity in the area," said the Minister.
The fourday tour of Minister Kabwelulu, took him to various strategic points in Shinyanga and Geita regions where he visited the Wiliamson Diamonds Ltd (DWL) as well as Busolwa and Nsangano Gold Mines which are owned and run by local investors.
According to Minister Kairuki, the visit to the locally owned mines was aimed at showing how Tanzanian small and middle-scale miners were progressing and slowly graduating from the lowest production stage to the larger one, as well as learning from the enabling environment that the government might put to support small-scale mining.
She said Tanzania had a vast potential in the area of mining processing, while currently investing heavily in the construction as well as making sure there is enough power to effectively operate the plants.
Elaborating more on the joint agreement made between the two countries, Minister Kairuki said Tanzania had welcomed DRC to use her harbours for transportation of mining products, as well as processing of the mining products in the country's processing plants.
"We have equally agreed to extend talks that will eventually facilitate DRC minerals to be processed in the country, including Cobalt concentrates," said the Minister.
Above all, DRC has planned to deploy a team of experts to learn how best the mining licencing procedures should be executed, citing the Tanzanian self designed cadaster model as well as to continue improving regulatory systems in the wake of smuggling chains of minerals from the two countries.
Speaking on the advantages he gained throughout the period he was in the country, Minister Kabwelulu said he was impressed on seeing the functioning of the new Mining Act, saying DRC had also amended its Act in order to realise more benefits from the sector.
He said the amended DRC mining Act now requires investors to be more responsible, now pay more royalties from the former 2 per cent to 10 per cent, as well as making sure pits are well filled as soon as mining activities come to an end.
"We need to forge a joint strategy that will see to it that we really benefit from the mining sector and I am glad that we have learned a lot from Tanzania," he said.
