The Director of Mineral Trade and Audit at the Mining Commission (MATD), CPA Venance Kasiki, has urged Tanzanian companies to deepen their participation in the mining economy by investing in industries that supply critical goods and services to mines rather than depending on foreign manufacturers.
Speaking at the 8th National Mining Technology Exhibition in Geita, Kasiki argued that sustainable participation in the sector demands more than agency roles.
It requires building strong operational and governance systems, delivering quality services on schedule, embracing new technologies, and pooling resources to create larger capital ventures.
He underscored that the mining value chain remains wide and largely underexploited by local firms.
Opportunities, he said, range from machinery supply, ICT services, transport and logistics, financial and insurance products, and catering, to the provision of personal protective equipment, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies, security, drilling, and cleaning services.
Kasiki framed this as both an economic and policy imperative. “It is time for stakeholders to fully utilise available opportunities while observing the laws and regulations in place, so that the sector can deliver greater value to the nation,” he said.
Employment data, he noted, reflects the sector’s accelerating impact on the domestic economy. In 2018, the industry accounted for 6,668 jobs for Tanzanians compared to 335 for expatriates.
By 2024, those figures had surged to 19,371 Tanzanians and 503 expatriates, effectively tripling the sector’s contribution to the labour market.
“This is evidence that mining is steadily expanding its role in job creation and national economic growth,” he observed.
Despite this progress, Kasiki cautioned against persistent inefficiencies in procurement and tendering.
Among the issues he listed were non-compliance with Expression of Interest (EOI) and Request for Proposal (RFP) procedures, restrictive tender criteria favouring specific firms, unhealthy competition disadvantaging local producers, joint ventures falling short of legal requirements, and the delivery of substandard goods and services.
According to him, addressing these gaps is central to unlocking greater national value.
“The Mining Commission will continue to enforce the Mining Act and Local Content Regulations to ensure the industry benefits Tanzanians and the country at large,” he said.
Kasiki also pointed to new industrialisation prospects in Geita. He urged investors to establish factories at the designated Buzwagi industrial site, where the government has reserved land specifically for manufacturing products required in mining operations.
By linking value addition with regulatory enforcement, Kasiki’s message underscored the government’s determination to position mining not only as an extractive activity but also as a driver of industrial growth and local enterprise development.