The Mining Commission has opened up business opportunities worth billions of shillings for Tanzanians in the mining sector, with youth and women earmarked as key beneficiaries under efforts to deepen local participation in the industry and support the implementation of Tanzania’s Development Vision 2050.
The initiative seeks to expand the role of Tanzanians in the mineral value chain, enhance value addition, create jobs and ensure that the benefits of the country’s mineral wealth are shared more broadly across the economy.
Speaking at the ongoing Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition at Nzuguni grounds in Dodoma, Mining Geologist Hassan Mkumba from the Mining Commission’s Directorate of Mineral Audit and Trade said the commission had identified 20 categories of goods and services that will be supplied exclusively by Tanzanians.
The reserved opportunities span a wide range of activities critical to mining operations, including the supply of lubricants, mineral processing chemicals and activated carbon, as well as cleaning, legal and security services.
Other areas include drilling, mineral laboratory analysis, mineral transportation, small-scale mining activities, fuel supply, equipment maintenance, mining engineering services, surveying and mapping, consultancy services, and the provision of catering and accommodation for mine workers.
Mr Mkumba said the move is part of the government's local content agenda aimed at increasing the participation of Tanzanians in mining-related businesses while strengthening linkages between the sector and the wider economy.
“The objective is to create more opportunities for Tanzanians, expand employment, grow local enterprises and ensure that the mining sector contributes more significantly to national development,” he said.
He urged young people, women and local entrepreneurs to position themselves to benefit from the opportunities by meeting the standards and requirements demanded by the industry.
According to the Mining Commission, increasing local participation in the mining value chain is expected to strengthen domestic businesses, enhance skills development and support the country's long-term economic transformation goals under Vision 2050.
The mining sector has emerged as one of Tanzania’s leading economic contributors, with the government increasingly promoting policies designed to ensure that local communities and businesses derive greater value from the country’s mineral resources.
