Dodoma: The Government, through the Ministry of Minerals, has opened a new chapter in the mining sector by officially announcing the launch of a major project for the comprehensive exploration of mineral resources in the country.
Unlike in previous years, when such activities relied on donors or external loans, this major project will be 100% funded using domestic resources generated from within the sector itself.
This was stated on October 16, 2026, by the Minister of Minerals, Hon. Anthony Mavunde, while presenting a report on the implementation of “Vision 2030” to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals.
Minister Mavunde explained that this initiative follows a strategic decision by President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan to approve legislative amendments requiring that 10% of non-tax revenue (government receipts) collected from the mining sector be specifically earmarked and directed toward geoscience research activities.
Mavunde noted that the Government’s primary objective under the 2030 Mining Sector Vision (“Vision 2030: Minerals are Life and Wealth”) is to expand the scope of high-resolution airborne geophysical surveys, thereby moving away from speculative mining practices. “This extensive survey will enable the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) to obtain comprehensive and accurate geoscientific information. Through this data, we will be able to precisely determine which areas should be allocated to investors, large-scale miners, and—in particular—small-scale miners, who have often lost their capital due to a lack of scientific data,” said Mavunde.
Outlining the status of mineral exploration in the country, Mavunde explained that, to date, only 16 percent of Tanzania’s total land area has undergone detailed geophysical surveying, leaving 84 percent yet to be covered by this technology. The government intends to utilize these domestic funds to accelerate progress, aiming to cover at least 50 percent of the country’s land area by 2030.
This initiative has also received support from the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals, led by its Vice-Chairperson, Hon. Simon Songe.
The Committee commended the government for completely eliminating reliance on external funding sources and opting to allocate exclusively domestic funds toward the exploration development budget—a move that empowers the country to safeguard the confidentiality and ownership of its strategic data.
Hon. Songe added that the completion of this study will enable small-scale miners to conduct their operations based on accurate research data; this will ensure more reliable mining and increase national revenue, driven by the significant investment that is expected to follow.
