Uganda – Tanzania Knowledge Sharing Mission
Dar es Salaam and Dodoma, Tanzania
A high-level delegation from Uganda explored best practices from Tanzania’s success in mining sector management. By learning from Tanzania’s experiences, Uganda aims to strengthen its own mining sector and unlock its natural resource potential.
The mission showcased Tanzania’s significant progress in the mineral sector, with key speakers sharing Tanzania’s experiences in exploration, value addition, and private sector engagement. Experts shared detailed advancements in geological research, and outlined initiatives supporting small-scale miners, value addition, and sustainable energy. They also emphasized the crucial role of transparency and data-driven governance in the extractive industries, underscoring Tanzania’s commitment to responsible resource management.
The Uganda delegation learnt about best practices in Tanzania on:
- Technological advancements: Digitalization of mining regulations and estimation of mineral resources which involves leveraging digital tools to regulate mining activities and track them in real time.
- Empowering small-scale miners who contribute 40% of Tanzania’s mining output
- Governance and transparency: Insights into Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (TEITI) data-driven governance
- Geological information: Geological Survey of Tanzania’s systematic mineral sample analysis hailed as a benchmark for Uganda’s Geological Survey.
This collaboration and knowledge sharing between Tanzania and Uganda reinforces the potential of regional partnerships to unlock Africa’s natural resources for shared prosperity.
East and Southern Africa Regional Consultative Workshop: Towards an Artisanal and Small-scale Mining Continental Strategy
The Programme supported the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC) in organizing a regional workshop to discuss the artisanal and small-scale mining strategy for East and Southern Africa.
This consultative workshop supported the implementation of the African Mining Vision (AMV) within the artisanal and small-scale mining sector by proposing a strategy to address new and emerging challenges, refining activity options, and harmonizing outcomes at sub-regional and country levels.
During the workshop, participants engaged in validating a baseline assessment and a value chain analysis of Development Minerals in Tanzania. The two analyses included a detailed profiling of the ASM sector and a review of relevant legal, policy, and institutional frameworks governing ASM in Tanzania. The analyses also addressed the environmental, health, safety, and socio-economic impacts of ASM, and emphasized gender-inclusive strategies to promote equal opportunities for both men and women within the value chain in Tanzania.
Policy discussions also focused on aligning the ASM sector with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), particularly to enhance women’s participation. The event also promoted networking and capacity-building among media practitioners to improve reporting on AMV activities while reflecting on regional implementation strategies and drawing lessons from countries in East and Southern Africa.
Fifth Tanzania Mining Investment Conference
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
The Programme contributed to and participated in the 5th Tanzania Mining Investment Conference held in November 2024, organized by the Tanzanian Ministry of Minerals. The conference aimed to address challenges in the mining sector, particularly those related to increasing the value of minerals and attracting global investors to Tanzania.
Organized by the Ministry of Minerals, the event aimed to share firsthand experiences from various stakeholders and explore the interconnections among different players in the mining and mineral value chain. It highlighted the government’s commitment to robust practices, legal frameworks, certification mechanisms, and collaborative relationships among governments, chain of custody service providers, and companies engaged in mining, mineral processing, and export. The conference served as a platform for current and prospective investors in the mining sector, including ASM, government representatives, banks, NGOs, CSOs, and development partners, to gain comprehensive insights into Tanzania’s mining policies, investment incentives, and the government’s dedication to creating a supportive environment for sustainable mining.
The conference prominently addressed issues of artisanal and small-scale mining. It provided a key platform for publicising the findings of the Development Minerals baseline study, to spotlight the attention of decision makers on the sector, and sharing knowledge that inform policies, strategies, and programs aimed at promoting sustainability in the sector.
In particular, two key findings from the baseline study of Development Minerals in Tanzania garnered interest from both policy and regulatory perspectives, as well as from the perspective of the ASM. One finding highlighted the issue of double taxation of artisanal and small-scale miners in certain regions, where authorities in mining areas and processing areas imposed the same tax/levy. This was particularly prevalent with taxes and levies collected by local government authorities. Another finding addressed the limited capacity of the Regional Mining Offices (RMOs) in terms of staffing and equipment to effectively manage ASM operations. This limitation hampers their ability to implement programs such as extension services, health and safety inspections, environmental monitoring, and more. Addressing these issues would further advance the administration and management of the artisanal and small-scale mining sector, in particular of Development Minerals, where formalization is still lagging behind, and environmentally harmful practices remain widespread.