Tanzanian Minister of Minerals Anthony Mavunde on Wednesday directed the Mining Commission to revoke 40 mineral exploration licenses due to the holders’ failure to develop them.
Mavunde told a news conference in the capital, Dodoma, that the decision followed repeated non-compliance despite prior warnings and grace periods granted to license holders to address identified shortcomings.
Noting a growing trend of unauthorized individuals encroaching on licensed areas, he said the cancellations would help improve resource governance and eliminate inactive operators who fail to meet licensing conditions.
“The government will not tolerate negligence that hinders the development of the mining sector and the broader economy,” he said.
According to Mavunde, the revoked licenses will be returned to the state and reallocated to small-scale miners, capable investors and special groups under the Mining for a Brighter Tomorrow program.
A comprehensive assessment conducted by the Ministry of Minerals revealed widespread violations, including the hoarding of licensed areas without development, failure to pay required fees, non-compliance with local content requirements, and neglect of corporate social responsibility obligations, he said.
Meanwhile, the government, through the Mining Commission, has issued compliance notices to 43 additional license holders, giving them 30 days to rectify the identified breaches, he said.
Failure to comply within the stipulated timeframe will result in further cancellations, with the affected areas to be reassigned to investors capable of developing them, he warned.
