Kampala, Uganda, Tanzania's Minister of Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, has called on African countries that produce strategic minerals to strengthen their management of these resources to enhance the continent's economic growth. Mavunde emphasized the importance of adding value to these minerals within the producing countries as a way to boost national income and create jobs.
Speaking on October 2, 2024, at the 13th Mineral Wealth Conference held in Kampala, Uganda, Mavunde praised Uganda’s President, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, for the recent decision to ban the export of raw minerals.
He described this as a strategic move for the development of Uganda’s mining sector.
He also highlighted that Tanzania had already taken similar action under the leadership of the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, requiring all investors in strategic minerals to ensure value addition takes place within the country.
According to Mavunde, Tanzania's mining sector has continued to grow, contributing 9% to the national GDP in 2023, with 56.2% of the value of total exports coming from minerals. He further noted that 60% of mining revenue is generated by large-scale miners, while 40% comes from small-scale miners.
Mavunde stressed that for a country to benefit from strategic minerals, significant investment in research is essential. He stated that Tanzania has already introduced the Vision 2030 Plan, aiming to increase the area covered by airborne surveys from the current 16% to 50% by 2030.
Meanwhile, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Ssentamu, pointed out that Uganda is working towards improving its mining sector, particularly in strategic minerals, and is eager to learn from Tanzania, which has made significant progress in the sector.
Mavunde concluded by emphasizing the need for African countries to collaborate in ensuring that the extraction and value addition of strategic minerals are conducted domestically. This will allow them to capitalize on the growing global demand for minerals such as graphite, nickel, and cobalt, creating jobs and boosting economic growth.
No comments:
Post a Comment