By Alfred Zacharia
The Mining Commission Laboratory in Msasani, Dar es Salaam, has officially received legal recognition and is now in the final stages of obtaining accreditation.
The laboratory, which focuses on analyzing mineral, soil, and rock samples, is set to play a key role in boosting the mining sector in Tanzania by improving government revenue collection and accelerating sample testing for industry stakeholders.
During a working session held in Morogoro on March 3, 2025, the Director of Mine and Environmental Auditing at the Mining Commission, Engineer Hamisi Kamando, explained that the laboratory’s legal recognition will enhance its operations and help increase the efficiency of government revenue collection.
He emphasized that the laboratory’s work will ensure that the government receives its due share while also providing sample testing services to industry stakeholders.
“The main goal of the Mining Commission Laboratory is to ensure that the government gets its due revenue while also providing sample testing services, which will increase government earnings,” said Engineer Kamando.
Venance Kasiki, the Director of Mineral Auditing and Trading, added that the laboratory had been legally recognized under the "Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments Act, 2024)." He noted that this development was a significant milestone, boosting the laboratory’s morale and pushing them to perform even better.
Kasiki also shared that the laboratory is currently in the process of completing the requirements for ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation. A recent 'Management Review' meeting was one of the necessary steps in this journey.
He mentioned that the meeting outlined the actions needed to achieve accreditation and provided a clear picture of where they currently stand in the process.
“In this meeting, we discussed the steps that will help the laboratory gain accreditation and where we currently stand in that process,” said Kasiki.
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation is a mark of excellence for laboratories, and obtaining this certification will allow the Mining Commission Laboratory to provide high-quality services to stakeholders in the mining sector, including miners and other parties needing sample testing.
Achieving accreditation will be a major milestone for the laboratory and will bring significant benefits to the mining sector, ensuring the government gains more revenue while also enhancing the sector’s efficiency.