Tanzanian minister vows to end mineral smuggling

Anthony Mavunde, Tanzania’s newly appointed minister of minerals, on Thursday vowed to end the smuggling of minerals out of the country.

Mavunde made the pledge while addressing a meeting of mineral stakeholders organized by the Federation of Miners’ Associations of Tanzania in the capital of Dodoma.

“The government is committed to ensuring that our precious natural resources are sold through official channels to benefit all Tanzanians,” Mavunde said.

In Oct. 2022, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan directed security organs to work with the Ministry of Minerals in controlling mineral smugglers that robbed the country of the much-needed revenue that could be used for development.

The contribution of the mining sector to the Tanzanian economy increased to 7.3 percent in 2021 from 4.8 percent recorded in 2018, according to the Tanzania Mining Commission.