THREE ministers have appealed to miners and mineral dealers to adhere to the country’s laws and regulations and get rid of misconducts should they want to operate smoothly in the country.
The ministers made the appeal after witnessing a handing over of nationalised properties and assets after the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) won legal battles to recover them.
The valuable items included gold and other precious minerals that had been intercepted pending legal procedures.
DPP Biswalo Mganga officially handed over the precious stones and other properties such as houses and vehicles to the government on Monday.
The ministers in attendance were Dr Augustine Mahiga (Constitutional and Legal Affairs), Dr Philip Mpango (Finance and Planning) and Dotto Biteko (Minerals).
Speaking shortly after the handing over session, Mr Biteko applauded the DPP for a job well done.
“The DPP has done this for all 50 million Tanzanians. He has been a true patriot,” he showered praises.
He went on commending members of the public, saying they largely facilitated success in recovery efforts through offering information to authorities after noticing fishy deals.
“We must protect our resources. Miners should respect laws and stay away from smuggling minerals outside the country,” he stated.
Dr Mpango also hailed the DPP, saying: “You are a truly Tanzanian that we want, not the thieves.”
He encouraged citizens to report people, who steal national resources. Dr Mahiga was emphatic on telling the public that Tanzania is rich, with abundant natural resources.
“Today, we have witnessed things that in the past were being lost or taken by individuals,” he said, calling upon miners to take advantage of opportunities brought by friendly regulations and laws in the mining sector.
Dr Mahiga argued that if miners operate as per rules and regulations they would get richness and create more jobs.
Delivering a vote of thanks, Bank of Tanzania (BoT) governor Prof Florence Luoga assured that the central bank has facilities to keep the recovered minerals and money for the government.
The Central Bank cooperates with other government organs in ensuring that the recovered resources are kept safely
