Tanzania to be tough on minerals smugglers
Tanzania has declared war on illegal minerals smugglers after it emerged the East African nation is losing more than $15-million a year from the illicit trade.
Tanzania Minerals Audit Agency CEO Paul Masanja says smuggling has been on the rise in recent years, particularly involving small- and medium-scale miners.
“There is a wide network of illegal mining activities that require serious cooperation from all government agencies to tackle,” he says.
Masanja adds that, over the past 12 months, security agencies intercepted about $10- million in cash and minerals destined for Europe and Asia.
Tanzania, Africa’s third-biggest gold producer, has a significant number of artisanal and small-scale miners, who are mostly involved in gold, gemstone, construction materials and salt extraction.
According to Masanja, small- and medium- scale gold miners produce about 20 t a year, yet less than 2 t is recorded by government. Further, less than 1 kg of the estimated 5 kg of the tanzanite that is mined every day is recorded.
Alhough Tanzania, East Africa’s second-biggest economy, has enacted tough laws to deter minerals smuggling, this has not stopped small-scale miners from engaging in the illicit activity.
According to the Mining Act of 2010, an individual arrested conducting illegal mining is liable for a fine of $6 200 or a three-year jail term, while a company found to be guilty of this offence must pay a fine of $31 000.
Mining is one of Tanzania’s key sectors, accounting for 3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). In recent years, the government of Tanzania has introduced significant reforms to spur growth in the sector so that it contributes at least 10% of the GDP by 2025.
Tanzania’s yearly gold export earnings have tripled to $1.5-billion in the past five years, thanks to a steady surge in the price of gold.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
For over 60 years, VEGA has provided industry-leading products for the measurement of level, density, weight and pressure. As the inventor of the...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Iritron delivers advanced automation, control, and optimisation solutions to the Mining, Minerals & Metals, Consumer Package Goods and...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
