Parliament has called for stricter enforcement of mine closure laws after figures showed that only two of Tanzania's 84 large and medium-scale mines had provided financial guarantees to cover the rehabilitation of mining sites.
The Parliamentary Budget Committee has directed the Ministry of Minerals to strengthen inspections and ensure mining companies meet their legal obligations to restore areas affected by mining activities once operations cease.
Committee chairman Mashimba Ndaki issued the directive during a seminar on the legal framework governing mine closure and rehabilitation guarantees held at the Mining Commission's headquarters in Dodoma.
Mr Ndaki said effective enforcement of existing laws and regulations was essential to protecting the environment, safeguarding communities and ensuring land affected by mining activities was restored to acceptable conditions.
He urged the Ministry, through the Mining Commission, to strengthen supervision of mining operations and ensure licence holders comply with requirements to prepare mine closure plans and provide financial guarantees for rehabilitation.
The committee also commended the Ministry for the mining sector's growing contribution to the economy, which currently accounts for 10.3 per cent of the Government's main budget.
Minister for Minerals Anthony Mavunde said the Ministry had received the committee's recommendations and would work on implementing them, thanking members for their contributions towards improving the sector.
He said the Government was pursuing measures to increase mineral production, expand Tanzanians' participation in mining, improve access to capital and technology, and strengthen oversight of mines and environmental protection.
Mr Mavunde said Tanzania had registered annual gold production of 67 tonnes, reflecting the sector's growing importance in economic growth and Government revenue.
He added that the Government was working with the Bank of Tanzania and financial institutions to establish a Credit Guarantee Fund for miners to help them access loans for purchasing equipment, acquiring technology and expanding production.
On revenue collection, Mr Mavunde said the Mining Commission had set a target of collecting TZS1.4 trillion in the 2026/27 financial year.
Between July and October 2026, the commission collected TZS552 billion, with the Government targeting collections of TZS800 billion by December this year.
He also said mineral exploration flights were expected to begin in various regions in December as part of efforts to strengthen the country's knowledge of its mineral potential.
Earlier, the Mining Commission's Director General for Mine Inspection and Environment, Engineer Hamisi Kamando, said the commission had strengthened oversight by requiring holders of large and medium-scale mining licences to prepare and submit mine closure plans for review and approval.
Citing Regulation 206(1) of the Mining (Safety, Occupational Health and Environmental Protection) Regulations, 2010, he said every holder of a large or medium-scale mining licence was required to submit a plan to the Chief Inspector of Mines outlining how the mining area would be rehabilitated after operations ended.
Engineer Kamando explained that the Office of the Chief Inspector of Mines conducts an initial review before submitting the plans to the National Mine Closure Committee (NMCC) for consideration and approval.
The committee brings together representatives from ministries responsible for minerals, environment, water and natural resources, regional and district authorities, the National Environment Management Council (NEMC) and other relevant institutions.
He said mine closure involved more than stopping extraction activities, explaining that it also covered the restoration of land and water sources, the safety of mining infrastructure, settlement of workers' legal entitlements and programmes to help communities surrounding mines establish alternative economic activities.
To ensure that funds are available for these obligations, mining companies are required to provide rehabilitation guarantees through mechanisms such as escrow accounts, capital guarantees, insurance bonds or bank guarantees.
Statistics presented at the seminar showed that Tanzania had 84 large and medium-scale mines, of which 44 had submitted mine closure plans.
Of these, 36 plans had been discussed by the National Mine Closure Committee, while 21 had received approval.
However, only two mines, North Mara and Bulyanhulu had provided rehabilitation guarantees through insurance company MUA, on January 16, 2026.
The figures highlight a gap between compliance with mine closure planning requirements and the provision of financial security to ensure rehabilitation work can be carried out.