CORPORATE INTELLIGENCE AFRICA ISSUE 0024 | Page 46

New licensing regime coming
MINING

soon in Kenya’s mining industry
By Boniface Otieno

T

and the Democratic Republic of Congo join the body.

he government plans to establish a new licensing regime to streamline mining industry following continued discoveris of minerals. The government says the new licensing regime will enure that Kenyans benefit from minining of minerals in the country. Mining Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has warned that no person or agency shall be licensed unless they prove they are competent to carryout mining activities. “We shall not give licences to speculators. To explore any mineral, the investors must prove their resource base to complete the job and deliver on the deal,” said Balala. Mr Balala further indicated that Kenya’s artisan miners will get free training on mineral processing at the Southern and Eastern Africa Mineral Centre (Seamic) headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. He said small-scale miners from Kenya and other Seamic countries will use Seamic’s laboratories to gain knowledge on processing and value addition to minerals before export. Balala who was speaking in Dar es Salaam during his maiden visit to Seamic headquarters since his election as chairman of the group’s governing council early this year, said he will make Seamic a powerful authority and expand its mandate to include other countries. Seamic is an international organisation under the umbrella of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and comprises of Eastern and Southern African states ¬- Angola, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. “We are fast expanding and there are more countries which have shown willingness to join,” said Mr Balala. He said plans are underway to have Zambia

Government stops issuance of mining licence
The government has also prepared a moratorium on mining licences, pending the enactment of a new law to deter holding of mining and exploration permits for speculation. Mr Balala made the announcement amidst concerns from industry insiders who have revea led the building up of a storm over recent decisions taken by top officials in the ministry. “I have stopped issuance of

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