Africa-Press – Tanzania. Barrick Gold Corporation has pledged to continue implementing local content regulations to ensure Tanzanians take an active part in the mining value chain.
This was unveiled at Barrick’s North Mara mine in Mara Region over the weekend during a two-day local content workshop organized by Barrick and Twiga Minerals Corporation attended by senior managers from the two companies.
Others are chairman and senior executives from the Tanzania Mining Commission as well as stakeholders from various government institutions.
The Country Manager for Barrick, Georgia Mutagahywa said as part of the implementation of the local content regulations, the company has taken action in areas of employment and offerings of tenders.
Also in running community development projects in the vicinity of the mines of Buzwagi, Bulyanhulu and North Mara through the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy.
However, she noted that Barrick still needs immense support from the government to ensure effective and successful implementation of the Mining Act and the Mining Local Content Regulations.
Mutagahywa said the company eyes starting a Local Business Development Program (LBD), to oversee the implementation of the regulations.
The Chairman for Tanzania Mining Commission, Prof Idris Kikula said its inception; the Mining Commission has been in the forefront to coordinate the implementation of the local content requirements as per the Mining Act and Mining Local Content Regulations.
“We have been closely monitoring the participation of Tanzanians in the mining sector by ensuring that preference is given to locally produced goods and services and our monitoring efforts have started to yield positive results,” he said.
Prof. Kikula further explained that the Mining Commission is ready to support Twiga to facilitate the creation of sustainable opportunities for Tanzanians in the Mineral value chain.
He noted that to support mining company in this, the Commission is ready to provide detailed clarifications on various challenges that the company encounters in the implementation and compliance of the local content.
