Names of mine owners to be disclosed

Dodoma. The government has vowed to establish a register of mine owners and shareholders in mining firms across the country as it seeks to ensure transparency in the extractive sector.

To that end, the government will work with different stakeholders – including the parastatal Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Teiti) – in ensuring that the register is established and properly maintained, Minerals minister Angellah Kairuki said.

“I know it is not an easy task; but since Teiti is now back in form, we will to do it,” the minister stressed, speaking at a function to launch a new Teiti committee under the chairmanship of a former Controller & Auditor General Ludovick Utouh.

Noting that the plan will likely be met with objections from certain quarters, Ms Kairuki was nonetheless adamant that she would “ensure the register is put in place… at any cost. We will use the professional integrity wealth in us to succeed in this!”

“I know it is a difficult task. If an independent consultant who went to audit some of these organisations was met with resistance, then establishing the register will not be an easy task,” she said, vowing to face any objections “head-on”.

For his part, the minister for Energy, Dr Medard Kalemani, asked the Teiti committee to exercise patriotism in their dealings and ensure that Tanzania benefit from its potential mineral wealth.

“Minerals, natural gas and oil are not like plants that (continue to) sprout as exploitation goes on. Tanzania must benefit from its resources; that is why Teiti was formed,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Utouh said that, as Teiti chairman, he will “work hard to ensure that the Initiative has a functional operating system. Teiti is required by statute to prepare a communications system with the mining industry,” he revealed – adding that cooperating with the independent administrator is obligatory on the part of the industry.

Established by the Teiti Act of 2015, Teiti started operations in 2009 when the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (Eiti) board admitted Tanzania as its chapter. Three years later (in 2012), Tanzania became compliant with the Eiti global standards.

Operating under a multi-stakeholders group composed of representatives from the government, civil society organisations and the extractive industry, Teiti is responsible for ensuring that benefits from the country’s extractive industry are verified and duly accounted for, as well as prudently utilised for the benefit of Tanzanians.

The new Teiti committee comes almost three years after the former committee was suspended by the Eiti board for failing to publish its 2012/2013 report in time.

Tanzania’s request for the board to allow more time for the Teiti Secretariat to complete the report was rejected on the grounds that Tanzania did not back up the application with enough justification.

Meanwhile, Ms Kairuki has said the government was making final touches toward the construction of seven stations that will offer training on minerals processing, safe mining and value addition in efforts to increase revenues.