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DAR ES SALAAM. – Tanzanian parliament said on Sunday it will review the east African country’s mining contracts with foreign firms in order to improve proper documentation of exported copper concentrates for the benefit of the country.
The parliamentary action came just a day after the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) in collaboration with security agents impounded over 260 export-bound shipping containers with copper concentrates from Buzwagi Gold Mine (BZGM) stored in Dar es Salaam.
Last week, Tanzanian President John Magufuli visited the Dar es Salaam port and ordered the seizure of 20 containers ferrying copper concentrates from the same mining firm. On Sunday, President Magufuli sacked the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Justin Ntalikwa, apparently in connection with the copper concentrates exports.
Job Ndugai, Speaker of the National Assembly, accompanied by a team of Members of Parliament, inspected the seized containers with copper concentrates at the Dar es Salaam port and said the parliamentary review team will analyse the process of transporting the copper concentrates and how they were exported abroad for smelting.
“There has been a feeling that we are being cheated as a nation on this issue, therefore as parliament we have decided to play our role of advising the government on the issue,” said the House Speaker.
“We want to get details of how the copper concentrates are analysed, packed and exported from the source. This task will also involve reviewing mining contracts,” Ndugai added.
Deusdedit Kakoko, TPA Director General, said more than 50 000 containers with copper concentrates move out of the country every year. – Xinhua.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter