Mining Reporter – Tuesday 23 July 2019
HARARE (Mining Index) – GOVERNMENT is working on fast tracking the amendment of the mines and minerals act to make it more attune to the current legislative requirements of the sector, mines and mining development minister, Winston Chitando has said.
This came out during the recently ended Mine Entra which came at a time when the extractive sector is expected to spearhead the recovery of the domestic economy. The amendment seeks to provide an improved and competitive mining legislative framework which offers a conducive environment for local and foreign investors while at the same time curtailing prejudice to the national fiscus.
The main highlight of the event was the Mine Entra Conference which shed some light on various opportunities in the mining value-chain to be exploited towards the attainment of government’s Vision 2030.
A robust inter-ministerial roundtable discussion led to a commitment by the government to collaborate more and ensure that its policies and programs are in sync in order to achieve accelerated economic growth.
It was the consensus of the meeting that solutions for both upstream and downstream sector value chain challenges where not going to come from a singular group but would need an all-hands-on-deck approach.
The Zimbabwe Miners Federation also hosted its annual Artisanal and Small-scale Miners Conference in which players in the sub-sector expressed their keenness to improve their processes, output and contribution to the country’s economic growth.
This year’s Mine Entra exhibition was well-subscribed with a varied mix of products and services showcasing the evolving innovations in the mining and related industries. A total of 211 exhibitors took up 90% of the available space, 162 exhibitors were direct exhibitors whilst 49 were indirect exhibits.
The People’s Republic of China, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia also took part in this year’s show.
In total, 5, 045 attended the exhibition, compared to last year’s closing total of 3,017. Recorded visitors were from Botswana, Canada, China, Eritrea, Ghana, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Switzerland and United Kingdom. ENDS//
