Blah Blah Blah! Hii njemba inapiga domo tu!!

[BAK]

wakati rasilimali zetu zikiendelea kuwatajirisha wageni na mafisadi. Ni kitu gani kinachochelewesha kuibadilisha mikataba ya uchimbaji wa madini ili iwe na maslahi kwa nchi yetu!? JK anaingia mwaka wa nne tangu aingie madarakani kuna ugumu upi wa kutekeleza ahadi zake za kuipitia upya mikataba ya madini? inahitaji miaka mingapi kufanya hivyo!?

Date::12/2/2008
Serikali yakiri udhaifu katika madini
Exuper Kachenje
Mwananchi

SERIKALI imekiri udhaifu katika kusimamia shughuli mbalimbali zinazohusu rasilimali ya madini, ambayo mchango wake katika Pato la Taifa bado ni mdogo.

Waziri wa Nishati na Madini, William Ngeleja, alisema hayo jana wakati alipokuwa akifungua warsha ya siku mbili iliyoandaliwa kujadili "Rasimu ya Sera ya Madini ya Mwaka 2008" na kufanyika katika Hoteli ya Blue Pearl Ubungo, Dar es Salaam.

Waziri Ngeleja alisema kuwa sekta ya madini imeendelea kukabiliwa na changamoto mbalimbali ikiwemo uwezo mdogo wa kubaini gharama halisi za uwekezaji, utafutaji, uzalishaji na biashara ya madini.

"Sekta ya madini bado imeendelea kukabiliwa na changamoto mbalimbali, hususan uwezo mdogo wa serikali kusimamia shughuli za madini, kubaini gharama halisi za uwekezaji, utafutaji, uzalishaji, biashara ya madini, utunzaji wa mazingira na usalama migodini," alisema Ngeleja.

Alifafanua kuwa changamoto nyingine ni pamoja na mchango mdogo wa sekta hiyo katika Pato la Taifa ikilinganishwa na ukuaji wa sekta hiyo, madini mengi kuendelea kuuzwa nje ya nchi yakiwa ghafi, kasi ndogo ya kurekebisha na kuwaendeleza wachimbaji wadogo pamoja na kiwango kidogo cha kushirikiana na wadau wengine katika uchumi.

Aliongeza kuwa, katika kipindi cha mwaka 1997 hadi 2007 serikali ilichukua hatua mbalimbali za kukabiliana na changamoto hizo pamoja na kuimarisha sekta ya madini ikiwemo kuunda kamati mbalimbali za kuishauri serikali namna ya kuimarisha sekta hiyo ya madini.

Alibainisha kuwa, katika kipindi hicho kamati tano tofauti zimeundwa kwa malengo mbalimbali ikiwemo kutoa maoni kwa serikali, kupitia mikataba, kutekeleza na kutoa mapendekezo juu ya usimamizi wa sekta ya madini nchini kwa ujumla.

Akijibu maswali ya waandishi wa habari, Waziri Ngeleja alisema kuwa, rasimu ya madini inayojadiliwa katika warsha hiyo inatarajiwa kukamilika na kuanza kufanya kazi katika sera na kisheria mwezi Aprili mwaka 2009.

Alisema kuwa, katika kipindi cha miaka kumi tangu sekta ya madini ilipoanza kushika kasi, serikali imejifunza mengi na kwamba zipo changamoto zisizokwepeka ili taifa lifaidike zaidi na madini.

Ngeleja alieleza kuwa, lengo la serikali ni kuhakikisha taifa na wawekezaji wote wanapata faida katika hali ya usawa kutokana na ukweli kwamba, ingawa rasilimali ni ya Tanzania, serikali haina uwezo wa vifaa kuwezesha kutekeleza miradi mikubwa ya madini aliyosema inahitaji mtaji mkubwa.

"'Win-win situation (mkakati wa kila mmoja kufaidika) tunaamini ndiyo nzuri. Tunaamini madini yanahitaji mtaji mkubwa. Tukifanikiwa manufaa yake ni mengi," alisema Njeleja akisisitiza zaidi.

Hata hivyo, alisema kati ya mwaka 1997 na 2007 mchango wa sekta ya madini umeongezeka, akiweka bayana kuwa uwekezaji ulikua kutoka dola za Kimarekani bilioni 1.3 hadi bilioni 2.5, mauzo ya nje yakiongezeka kutoka asilimia moja hadi 52 ya mauzo yote huku ajira ikipanda kutoka wafanyakazi 1,700 hadi 13,000 katika migodi mikubwa kwenye kipindi hicho.

Kamati zilizoundwa tangu mwaka 2002 ni pamoja na Kamati ya Kuchunguza Chanzo cha Migogoro baina ya Kampuni ya AFGEM (Tanzanite One) na wachimbaji wadogo Mererani iliyoundwa mwaka 2002, Kamati ya Kudurusu Sera ya Madini ya mwaka 1997 iliyoundwa mwaka 2004 na Kamati ya Kupitia Mikataba na Mfumo wa Kodi katika Sekta ya Madini ya mwaka 2006.

Nyingine ni pamoja na Kamati ya Majadiliano ya Mikataba baina ya serikali na kampuni za madini, ambayo matokeo ya majadiliano yake yamewezesha baadhi ya kampuni kukubali kuondoa unafuu wa ziada wa asilimia 15 ya gharama ambazo hazijakombolewa na kuanza kulipa tozo kwa halmashauri zinazozunguka migodi.

Kamati ya Rais ya Kuishauri Serikali Kuhusu Usimamizi wa Sekta ya Madini ya mwaka 2008 ndiyo kamati ya mwisho na ambayo ilichambua mapendekezo ya kamati zilizotangulia na kutoa mapendekezo mbalimbali.

Mapendekezo ya kamati hiyo ni pamoja na kufanya marekebisho ya Sera ya Sheria ya Madini, kurekebisha mfumo wa kodi, ushiriki wa serikali katika madini mkakati na kuimarisha usimamizi wa sekta hiyo ili iweze kuongeza mchango katika uchumi wa taifa.

 

[BAK]

Govt getting tougher on gold mining inspection

2008-12-03 10:23:16
By Angel Navuri
THE GUARDIAN

The government has said it has introduced round the clock yields inspection at all major gold mining sites to rein in on possible cheat on real harvests by miners so as to deny Treasury taxes.

Impeccable sources averred this week that this time the state was more serious than ever in ensuring that it digs up fair share of the country`s mineral wealth through proper in situ inspections.

In an interview on Monday, Commissioner for Minerals Dr. Peter Kafumu said inspectors would be stationed in all key gemstone mining sites.

``We aim at 24/7 hours official inspection so that actual records about minerals output are obtained instead of waiting for investors to do the job on our behalf`` he stressed.

He said the system is already in place at all major gold mines, adding that successful implementation of the exercise would enable the government to properly assess mineral yields for tax purposes and curb alleged dishonest corporate reporting through concoction of actual output in order to delay payment of corporate taxes.

Tanzania`s Mining Act of 1998 which became effective August in the following year is said to be one of the most generous pieces of mining legislations in Africa, some of whose provisions and related concessions had to be renegotiate by the incumbent administration in the face of public outcry.

One of the most controversial clauses was the 15 percent additional capital allowance on unredeemed qualifying capital expenditure which defer tax liability until companies` costs are recouped a tax holiday that could have lasted up to 20 years.

Jakaya Kikwete`s victorious 2005 presidential campaign included a pledge to secure a �fairer�distribution of mineral revenues, amid a fierce political tussle over the country�s mineral wealth.

However, Dr. Kafumu cautioned that investment in mining undertaking in Tanzania was costly, mostly so because mining companies have also to invest in basic infrastructure in and around the mining areas.

He brushed aside as untrue long held claims by mining activists that mining companies were just paying 3 percent in royalty, thus ending up pocketing a whopping 97 percent.

``This is not true because the 3 percent royalty is deducted from gross profit from which other taxes are also taken away, so it was impossible for them to pay cooperate taxes unless they start generating profits``, said Kafumu.

However, Finance Minister Mustafa Mkulo in May said that Tanzania needs to change the current mining legal framework in which most mining companies operating in the country are exempted from payments, including a 30 percent corporate tax and customs duties.

``We can increase revenue from mining companies by 10 times if they all pay taxes. The companies agree that there are anomalies and they are working with us.

We are not going to chase any company away,`` said Mkulo Kafumu said the government was charging royalty in all companies except tanzanite miners who are paying every levy as defined by finance laws since four years ago.

In future, he suggested that it would be useful for the government to pick a leaf from Botswana, where the state put up infrastructure for investors who subsequently concentrate on their businesses while paying all relevant taxes.

``The only way to make mining companies pay all appropriate taxes as soon as they start business is to ensure that their operational costs are kept at the minimum from day one``, he explained.

Tanzania is Africa`s third largest producer of gold, but Tanzania Chamber of Mines is opposed to raise them arguing that the move would hold back foreign direct investments (FDIs).

A committee set up by President Kikwete last year to review mining legal framework eventually remarked that mining laws and policy needs to be refined with view to ensure the country gets its fair slice.

It also recommended that government should refrain from signing any fresh mining concessions until anticipated amendments to the current legal framework are effected.

It remains to be seen whether all these new moves will be enough to quell a political storm over a sector that produces about half of Tanzania`s exports but contributes less tax than the country`s biggest brewer.

 

[Yassin]

Nikajua unaandika mwenyewe kutoka kichwani....Good job!!!