The Government of Tanzania, through the Tanzania Mining Commission, issued a total of 11,674 mining licenses between July 2025 and March 2026, surpassing the planned target of 11,463 licenses for the same period.
This was revealed by the Minister for Minerals, Anthony Mavunde, while presenting the Ministry’s budget estimates for the 2026/2027 financial year in Parliament.
Minister Mavunde told lawmakers that the performance reflects continued improvements in the management of the mining sector, particularly in streamlining the issuance of licenses to support investment, formalization, and growth of mining activities across the country.
He said the issued licenses include 21 Medium Mining Licenses (MLs), 313 Prospecting Licenses (PLs), 8,878 Primary Mining Licenses (PMLs), 41 Processing Licenses (PCLs), 914 Dealer Licenses (DLs), and 1,507 Broker Licenses (BLs).
He noted that the majority of licenses were issued to small-scale miners, who remain a key driver of Tanzania’s mining economy.
However, the Minister informed Parliament that not all license holders complied with legal requirements.
A total of 111 prospecting licenses and 35 medium mining licenses were issued with offense notices after holders failed to pay annual fees and develop their licensed areas as required by law.
He added that further enforcement action was taken, where 53 prospecting licenses and 29 medium mining licenses were revoked after the owners failed to correct the identified violations within the required timeframe.
On regulatory oversight, Mavunde said inspections were carried out on 52 gold processing plants using CIP/CIL technology, 509 Vat Leaching facilities, and 204 Elution plants across 25 mining regions.
The inspections were aimed at ensuring compliance with safety standards, environmental regulations, and proper operational procedures.
Regarding mine closure management, the Minister said four mine closure plans were reviewed by the National Mine Closure Committee.
However, none were approved due to technical gaps, including lack of geological stability assessments and missing input from district-level stakeholders responsible for guiding post-mining economic activities.
He emphasized that proper mine closure planning is essential to ensure that former mining areas are safely rehabilitated and transformed into productive uses that benefit surrounding communities.
Overall, the report reflects ongoing government efforts to strengthen regulation, improve compliance, and ensure that the mining sector continues to contribute effectively to national development.
