The Sunday News
Roberta Katunga Senior Business Reporter
THE Government is in the process of establishing a computerised mining title management system meant to modernise the structure in line with international best practices. Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Fred Moyo confirmed the establishment of a computerised management information system saying it would help the ministry manage the country’s mineral resources as well as facilitate appropriate planning and control.
“The Ministry has started the process of establishing a computerised mining cadastre for the management of the entire mining industry throughout the value chain; that is from licensing, actual projects implementation and marketing including accounting of production by all mining and mineral entities,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
He said the new system would also offer security of tenure to investors. The Deputy Minister said consultations were being done with a consultant to ensure that the cadastre mining title management system becomes operational as soon as possible adding that the ministry was moving with speed to finalise this project.
“As we migrate from the old system to the computerised Cadastre system, there will be challenges of disputes due to overlapping of mining titles arising out of inherent inaccuracies. Transitional measures will be put in place to address these challenges. Information will be required from mining title holders to ensure that the transition is smooth,” he said.
Meanwhile, Government is also establishing a post graduate university on the mining and minerals sector.
Dep Min Moyo said the institution, Pan-African Minerals University of Science and Technology (PAMUST), would be dedicated to the training of high calibre professionals in mineral beneficiation, value addition and management. He said the Bill that would see to the establishment of the institution was presented to Parliament in April.
“The PAMUST Bill therefore, provides for the establishment of the University as a Nelson Mandela Institute (NMI) of Excellence, dedicated to the training of high calibre professionals in mineral beneficiation, value addition and management.
This Bill was presented to Parliament on 14 April 2016 by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education,” he said. He said it was worrying that only about five percent of goods used in the sector are manufactured locally.
“A number of studies have been done on local procurement. Government is concerned that only plus or minus five percent of goods are manufactured locally. The mining sector must strategise on how local companies can be capacitated to produce locally competitive goods and services.”
