Magufuli to build the 29th mineral trading centre in Iramba-Singida

Dar es Salaam. Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) presidential candidate John Magufuli on Wednesday, September 2, said if he is re-elected in the upcoming October 28 general election, his government will set up a gold trading centre in Iramba District, in Singida Region.

This he said will provide a reliable market for gold traders in the district particularly the artisanal miners.

Tanzania currently has 28 minerals trading centers which are located mostly within mineral-rich regions of Mwanza, Geita, Arusha, Kahama, Shinyanga and Mara and Mbeya.

President Magufuli addressed Iramba residents, while on his way to Shinyanga Region where he was expected to address a political rally as he enters the fifth day since the ruling party launched its 2020 general election campaigns.

The construction of minerals trading centers has resulted in a significant reduction in Tanzanite trafficking over space and time, whereby production rose from 145 kg (2017) to 781 kg (2018), the available data show.

The data further indicate that, gold production rose to 8,656.16 kg in the first quarter of 2019 from 8,654.97 kg in the same quarter of 2018.

While in Iramba, the incumbent President Magufuli was accompanied by various CCM cadres including Mr Mwigulu Nchemba, the ruling party’s Parliamentary aspirant for Iramba West constituency who pledged to address socio-economic challenges facing the residents if he is re-elected Iramba MP.

Meanwhile, President Magufuli at the same occasion also pledged to give out for free over 400 acres of land to ordinary citizens in the district to be used for agriculture and other investments.

“We can’t allocate 500 acres of land for foreign investors while we have locals who also demand the land for agriculture” said President Magufuli.

Other areas that President Magufuli has pledged to work on if he is re-elected include; improving power supply in the district by connecting the remaining 22 villages to the national grid.