Small-scale miners get equipment, financing boost
DODOMA: SMALL-SCALE miners are set to receive a major boost, as the government, through the State Mining Corporation (STAMICO), has signed Memoranda of Understanding with local manufacturers to ease access to crucial mining equipment.
This initiative aims to empower small-scale miners to acquire equipment and increase their production.
This was announced yesterday in the National Assembly by the Deputy Minister for Minerals, Dr Stephen Kiruswa, while responding to a basic question from the Singida East MP, Mr Miraji Mtaturu, who wanted to know when the government would provide licences, equipment and capital to small-scale miners in his constituency.
Dr Kiruswa named the companies that signed the MoUs with STAMICO as GF Truck, Appolo Heavy Equipment, and META.
He said that STAMICO also leases mining equipment such as compressors and water pumps at affordable prices through its model centres.
Regarding access to capital, Dr Kiruswa said that STAMICO has entered into agreements with financial institutions such as CRDB, NMB, Azania, and KCB so that they can lend money to small-scale miners.
“The Ministry, through STAMICO and the Mining Commission, has been conducting seminars and conferences in various regions to inform small-scale miners about these opportunities,” he noted.
He further said that the government had also established a system for providing small-scale miners with mining areas by allocating specific areas and requiring miners to submit their applications to the Mining Commission.
“Small-scale miners in Singida East, like other miners, have continued to get mining areas through their individual applications.
Furthermore, the areas of Mhintiri, Londoni and Sambaru in the Singida region have been designated for small-scale miners,” Dr Kiruswa told the National Assembly yesterday.
Dr Kiruswa urged small scale miners to take advantage of these opportunities provided by the government to increase their production and contribute to the growth of the country’s mining sector.
