PM Majaliwa Calls For Timely And Equity In Mineral Extraction Licenses Issuances

 By STAFF REPORTER 

PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has issued a stern warning against the public officers engaging in issuing of mining licenses who are perplexing the citizens who are going to their offices in seek for the extraction permissions.

He said there has emerged a negative tendency, through which some officers are intentionally dillydalling to issue extraction permits to the citizens who have discovered over presence of mineral deposits in their respective areas, in order to greenlight others with an eye to benefiting themselves.

"Stop the bad behavior of oppressing citizens who come from areas with mineral opportunities  to ask for a license to own the area," he warned.

He said the unpatriotic officers in question have been directing the tax-payers mining extraction licenses seekers to leave all information over the new areas with mineral deposits in their offices for further process, and instead, they finally telling them falselly that the areas have already been taken by someone else in order to look for someone who will bribe them to own the potential areas.

"I want to assure you that all officers to be identified as implicating in such poor habbit will face stern displinary measures, " he warned.

The premier was speaking over the weekend when closing a special gala on Mining Exhibitions and Investment Opportunities in Lindi region, held at the Kilimahewa grounds in Ruangwa District. 

"The government will continue to create viable and conducive environment to help attract more investors from within and outside the country to chip in and invest in the potential economic sector, " he expressed. 

He similarly directed the the Geological Survey of Tanzania ( GST) to embark on strategic survey over mineral deposits accross the country in cooperation with the council's offices, among others, to ensure the citizens are benefiting from the sector,  but also to enable effective land use.

Together with that,  the premier directed leaders within all districts with mining activities in the country to set constructive plans for sustainable extraction while observing the needed environmental conservation practices. 

In addition, the Prime Minister has called on all miners to give priority to increasing the value of the minerals and make profitable use of the available mining institutions to heighten their performance.

"And all councils should ensure they provide sufficient cooperation to investors who have identified opportunities within their areas," he insisted. 

On his part, the former President of the Mr. Jakaya Kikwete hailed President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her good vision of creating an enabling environment that has so far helped to attracts a number of investors into the key sector.