AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA Women Miners Association (Tawoma) is set to launch a database as it seeks to determine the actual mineral production and sales by its members and its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per annum.
This has been unveiled by Tawoma Secretary General Salma Kundy at a press conference held at the weekend.
“The move will enable us to know the amount of minerals produced by our members and the amount sold in domestic and international markets,” said Ms Kundy.
Meanwhile, Tawoma which serves as the heart of networking among women miners in the country has secured a license from the Tanzania Mining Commission to practice value addition to minerals especially gemstones, rocks and precious metals such as gold and silver before selling them abroad.
Before authorisation, the association was exporting raw material minerals abroad, something that deprived them of earning sufficient incomes.
“We practise mineral value addition such as lapidary and jewellery designing. Then, we sell products in domestic and international markets. The price ranges from 500,000/-to 30m/- per product,” said Tawoma mineral value addition department secretary Mecktilder Mchomvu.
For her part, Tawoma Chairlady Eunice Negele said in the next five years the country’s mining sector would contribute sufficient revenue to the GDP following reforms in the mining sector.
The country’s mining sector is expected to contribute 10 per cent to the GDP by 2025. Currently, the mining sector’s contribution to GDP is estimated at 4.8 per cent.
The chairlady heaped praise on President John Magufuli for reforms in Tanzania’s mining sector, including the construction of a 24-kilometre wall at Mirerani and the establishment of more than 20 minerals trading centres across the country to control smuggling of precious gems.
