The Mining Commission has said that the establishment of mineral markets and buying centres across the country has significantly improved transparency in the minerals trade, reduced illegal mineral smuggling, and increased government revenue collection.
The development was highlighted today in Dodoma during the ongoing Public Service Week exhibitions at the Chinangali Grounds, where government institutions are showcasing key reforms and services aimed at improving public service delivery and strengthening accountability in strategic sectors.
Speaking at the event, an official from the Mining Commission’s Directorate of Inspection and Mineral Trade, Ibrahim Akyoo, said the creation of formal mineral trading systems has transformed how minerals are bought and sold in the country.
He said the system has ensured that miners and traders now operate through official and regulated channels, making transactions more transparent, traceable and beneficial to the national economy.
According to him, the reforms have helped to significantly reduce informal mineral trade, which previously contributed to smuggling and loss of government revenue through under-declaration and unrecorded transactions.
Akyoo noted that Tanzania currently has 44 mineral markets and 120 mineral buying centres spread across different mining areas, bringing services closer to miners and traders and improving efficiency in the sector.
He said the expanded network has enabled miners, especially small-scale operators, to sell their minerals closer to their production sites while ensuring that every transaction is properly recorded, taxed and supervised under national regulations.
He added that the Directorate of Inspection and Mineral Trade plays a key role in ensuring compliance within the sector.
Its responsibilities include monitoring mineral business activities, increasing Tanzanian participation in mineral trading, preventing smuggling, conducting financial and tax inspections, and providing laboratory services to support quality control.
Akyoo further said that through platforms such as the Public Service Week exhibitions, the Mining Commission continues to educate citizens and stakeholders on opportunities available in the mining sector.
These include mineral trading, mining activities, value addition, service provision, and other areas along the mineral value chain.
He said these reforms are part of the government’s broader efforts to ensure that the mining sector contributes more effectively to national development by improving transparency, strengthening accountability, and expanding economic opportunities for citizens.
The Mining Commission reaffirmed that the continued expansion of mineral markets and buying centres will further reduce illegal mineral flows while strengthening Tanzania’s position as a well-regulated and competitive mining economy that benefits its people.
