Dar es Salaam. The government has affirmed its commitment to continue fostering a business and investment-friendly environment to attract investors in the field of mineral value addition.
This promise was made on Thursday (November 21) by the President of the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government, Dr Hussein Mwinyi, in a speech delivered on his behalf by the Deputy Speaker of the Zanzibar House of Representatives, Ms Mgeni Hassan Juma.
Speaking at the closing of the International Investment Conference in the Mining Sector, Ms Juma emphasized that for Tanzania to fully benefit from its God-given resources, investment in mineral value addition is not optional, but a necessity.
“As President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan of the United Republic of Tanzania stated during the opening of this conference, we must ensure that all minerals produced in this country are value-added,” Dr Mwinyi said in his speech.
Tanzania is blessed with valuable mineral resources such as gold, nickel, copper, and lithium.
“For the country to truly benefit from these resources, we must establish industries that will add value to these minerals, processing them into finished products,” said President Dr Mwinyi.
He further explained that this will help create jobs and increase the mining sector’s contribution to the national economy.
At the conference, which brought together over 1,500 participants, seven key topics aimed at promoting mineral value addition were discussed.
These included finding solutions to challenges related to value addition in mining across African countries, facilitating access to capital, and exploring mining opportunities within the sector.
Additionally, the discussions covered the involvement of women and youth in value addition for essential and strategic minerals, alongside policies, regulations, and laws governing these activities.
Minister for Minerals, Mr Anthony Mavunde, explained that the three-day conference served as a platform for exchanging experiences, learning from countries that have made progress, and showcasing the resources that God has endowed Tanzania with.
“As this conference continues to grow year by year, we hope to establish a special area recognized as a hub for mining conferences,” Minister Mavunde said, drawing comparisons with South Africa’s ‘Mining Indaba’ held in Cape Town.
Mining Indaba is an annual conference in Cape Town, South Africa, which brings together leaders from the mining industry to network, identify investment opportunities, discuss challenges and opportunities, explore the future of the industry and boost public-private cooperation.
“We too wish to have a dedicated space for major mining conferences like this one here in Tanzania. These are the aspirations we hold,” added Mr Mavunde.
He urged regional leaders across Tanzania who are willing to allocate large areas for such conferences to do so, in order to attract significant investment.
“We want visitors coming to Tanzania to experience an environment that reflects the essence of a mining conference,” said Mr Mavunde.
He continued: “If you take a guest to Buzwagi, Kahama, and they see the mountains, the pits, and the landscape, they will truly feel they are at a mining conference.”
The Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr Steven Kiruswa, congratulated the leaders for their strong guidance, which has allowed the mining sector to continue growing and increasing its contribution to the nation.
The theme of this year’s conference is value addition in minerals for economic and social development.
This theme aligns with the objectives of the 2009 mining policy, which mandates the government to ensure that minerals produced within the country are value-added before being exported.
“Our goal is to expand the value chain through creating job opportunities and establishing mineral processing industries in the country,” said Dr. Kiruswa.
This investment includes exploration, mining, processing, value addition, and trade in minerals.
