The government has invited investors to invest in mineral value addition for the country to benefit more from variety of mineral resources.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Energy and Minerals the invitation comes after the government has last month announced total ban on export of ores and concentrates of metallic minerals to enable all mineral value addition activities including processing, smelting and refining to be carried out within the country.
“The government is inviting capable stakeholders to invest in mineral processing, smelting and refining industries in Tanzania,” the Ministry said, as the government is implementing the Mineral Policy, 2009 and the Mining Act, 2010.
In the Mineral Policy of 2009, the government emphasizes the need to promote and facilitate value addition activities to be carried out within the country to increase revenue from the mineral sector, create jobs and acquire new technology hence to realise maximum benefits from the mineral sector.
According to the statement, the interested persons or firms are required to have the proper technology to ensure that pure metals are produced and exported outside Tanzania.
Also, such companies to have reputable experience in processing, smelting and refining of metallic ores and concentrates as well as sound financial capacity and workable investment plan.
Some of the critics of the domestic smelting however argue that to operate the smelting plant economically, a feedstock of 150,000 tonnes of mineral sand, almost three times the amount produced in Tanzania, are required annually.
Tanzania is endowed with variety of mineral resources from metallic minerals to gemstones and most of the minerals produced are exported in raw or semi processed form.