• Minister Mavunde outlines measures to curb smuggling and expand Tanzanite trade
• Government to intensify exploration in Mirerani to support miners
• Parliamentary Committee urges stronger international promotion of Tanzanite
• Ministry of Minerals commended for exceeding revenue collection target in the first quarter of FY 2026/27
By Our Reporter, Dodoma
The Ministry of Minerals has presented to Parliament a comprehensive strategy aimed at transforming Tanzania’s Tanzanite mining, regulation, value addition and trading systems to strengthen the gemstone’s contribution to the national economy.
Presenting the strategy on October 13, 2026, before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde said the global Tanzanite market was facing several challenges that the government was taking measures to address.
He identified the key challenges as non-compliance among some gemstone traders, declining production, smuggling and growing competition from synthetic gemstones manufactured through industrial processes.
Mavunde said the government was undertaking major reforms in domestic and international trading systems to address these challenges, improve transparency and ensure Tanzania derives greater economic benefits from its globally recognised gemstone.
Under the strategy, the government plans to complete construction of a dedicated trading facility, the Tanzanite Exchange Centre, and introduce a formal auction system to improve price transparency and ensure Tanzanite undergoes value addition in Tanzania before export, rather than being shipped in its rough form.
The government also plans to intensify geological exploration beyond the existing mining wall in Mirerani, the country's principal Tanzanite-producing area, to identify new deposits and expand opportunities for miners.
“Our goal is to help local miners and gemstone traders sell their products at competitive prices that reflect prevailing global market conditions. We will achieve this through robust, transparent and reliable gemstone valuation systems,” Mavunde said.
He added that detailed exploration in Mirerani would help identify new areas with geological indicators of Tanzanite, potentially opening up additional mining opportunities and supporting long-term production.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, Subira Mgalu, urged the government to strengthen efforts to promote Tanzanite in major international markets through a deliberate global rebranding strategy.
Mgalu stressed that Tanzania, as the world's sole known source of Tanzanite, should ensure the country's name and identity remain prominent throughout the gemstone's global value chain.
She said stronger international branding would help the country secure greater economic returns from the gemstone while enhancing its visibility and competitiveness in the global market.
The committee chairperson also commended the Ministry of Minerals for exceeding its government revenue collection target during the first quarter of the 2026/2027 financial year.
For the 2026/2027 financial year, the Ministry of Minerals has been assigned a revenue collection target of Sh1.406 trillion. Performance during the first quarter indicates positive progress towards meeting and potentially surpassing the annual target.
The proposed reforms are expected to strengthen oversight of Tanzanite trading, discourage smuggling, improve price discovery and expand domestic value addition, while creating better opportunities for local miners and gemstone businesses.
The strategy also seeks to reinforce Tanzania's position in the international gemstone market by ensuring that a greater share of the value generated from Tanzanite benefits the country where the rare gemstone originates.