Tembo Nickel contributes 6.7bn/- to govt coffers

TEMBO Nickel Mining Company has paid over 6.7bn/- in 2022 as taxes and licence fee, thus contributing to the nation’s economic growth.

Tembo Nickel General Manager, Mr Manny Ramos explained that the company also spent over 18.5bn/- in local procurement contribution. Of the amount, about 767m/- was spent in Ngara District, he said.

He made the remarks on Wednesday during the handing over of various projects in health and education sectors that have cost a total of 208.1m/-.

The projects include a maternity ward at Bugarama Ward, 11 classrooms with 160 desks and chairs. The project also trained 18 Health Community Workers (CHWs) and provided them with 18 bicycles.

Mr Ramos further explained that about 102 permanent staff including 89 Tanzanians were employed, while 54 suppliers from Ngara District Council (NDC) were given tenders to supply various materials to the mining company.

On July 8th last year Tembo Nickel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NDC for the corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects for 2022.

Through a participatory process the two parties entered a partnership for collaboration which covered projects in six wards namely Bugarama, Bukiriro, Muganza, Rulenge, Mbuba and Keza, in Ngara District.

The areas of focus included education and health while the support covered a total of 11 projects.

Seven projects are under the education sector to improve the schools infrastructure, including classrooms, desks and staff offices.

Under the health sector, three projects were to improve health facilities infrastructure, medical equipment and medical supplies.

Minerals Minister, Dr Dotto Biteko visited the projects site recently where he hailed Kabanga Nickel for the good performance in implementing the projects, urging them to speed up because Tanzanians were eagerly waiting to see the project being implemented.

“President Samia Suluhu Hassan and all Tanzanians are eagerly waiting to see the long-awaited projects being implemented. I appeal to Kabanga Nickel to speed up the processes to enable the projects start functioning.

“People under the 2,800 hectares already surveyed should be paid their compensation, because the money is available. About 30bn/- has been set aside for the exercise. Don’t wait for long, as this caused undue inconvenience to the affected families,” he said.

He strongly warned few greedy people termed as ‘tegesha’, who buy land from unsuspicious wananchi in villages surrounding the project at cheap price and later claim millions of shillings as compensation.

“The government is closely monitoring the project. These crooks (tegesha) will not get any payment. The government is working closely with the investors and will not allow few unfaithful people to tarnish its image,” he warned.