MANYARA: A STUDY to establish a major gold mine in Manyara Region is expected to open up wide investment opportunities in the country.
Minister for Minerals, Mr Anthony Mavunde, said he has witnessed the beginning of major gold exploration work in Manyara Region, at Bassuto Village in Bassuto Ward, Hanang District, adding that the new exploration will open up more opportunities and investment in the region.
He reassured the residents of Bassuto Village, Bassuto Ward, that the government will not relocate them until they are fully compensated for any areas identified to contain the minerals.
“This exploration will enable Hanang District to grow economically, and people will benefit from various opportunities such as employment and investment, if minerals are found,” said Mr Mavunde.
He further said that the Ministry of Minerals had already issued exploration licences to COBRA Resource Solution, which is a local investor conducting the study.
According to him, the mining sector is among the sectors with a major contribution to Tanzania’s economy, and if it is properly managed, it can bring significant positive impacts on the country’s economic growth and support various development projects.
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He also said the region is well known for the presence of Tanzanite gemstones as well as green garnet, and that the Itracom Fertiliser Company of Dodoma has been sourcing limestone and other mineral raw materials from the region to produce fertiliser.
A geologist from COBRA Resource Solution, Mr Paul Madatta, explained that the drone device used in the study can conduct research over a large area compared to walking on foot, and that it is also safer than the machine that is normally carried on the back.
He said the device is capable of surveying underground up to a distance of three kilometres. Providing the implementation report, Manyara Resident Mining Officer, Engineer Godfrey Nyanda, revealed that in revenue collection up to October this year, the office had managed to collect a total of 7.93bn/- since its establishment in 2018.
He noted that the performance has continued to improve year after year due to strong supervision and monitoring of mining activities in the Manyara Region.
In addition, as of October 30 this year, a total of 51 small-scale mining licences had been processed and issued, along with four largescale mining business licences and 25 small-scale mining business licences.
A Bassuto resident, Mr Laurent Manya, commended the government for the exploration exercise, saying it is an important development initiative for the country and its people.
“It is our hope that our youth will get employment; we will cooperate with the experts,” said Mr Manya.