Discussions on Uganda’s Mining and Mineral Legal Framework kick started at Fairway Hotel in Kampala on Tuesday, attracting artisan minors, civil society organizations and representatives from Uganda’s major mining Districts of Busia, Kapchorwa, Kabale, Kasanda, Ibanda, Rubanda and Mubende among others.
Agnes Alaba, the Commissioners for Mines Department at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, in her opening remarks said the four days workshop is aimed at sharing ideas, networking and finding solutions for challenges facing the mining industry in Uganda.
She said Uganda is optimistic of developing the mining industry to boost the country’s economy by ensuring favourable laws are put in place to enable those engaged in the mining industry to do their job professionally to benefit both the private sector and the Government.
“We have halted licensing of mining until a new law comes into place to address both long and short term investments into the mining industry”, she told Journalists at the workshop.
Peter Lokeris, the Minister of State for Minerals, said Uganda is endowed with a vast mineral deposit and called on whoever is interested in investing in the mining industry to apply online, regardless of whether the company or person is located in Uganda or abroad.
“Uganda has good potential for minerals with a favourable geological environment for world-class economic mineral deposits. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development through the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines made discoveries of copper, nickel, gold, chromite, iron ores, tin, tantalite, tungsten, limestone, marble, graphite, gemstones, and rare earth minerals”, he said.
Hon. Lokeris says these resources attracted increased Foreign Direct Investment in the sector from $USD 5 million in 2003 to over $USD 800 million dollars in 2017.
He said similarly, non- tax revenue (NTR) from license fees, annual mineral rent, and royalties has significantly increased from approximately 1.8 billion Uganda Shillings in 2003 to 11.3 billion Uganda Shillings in FY 2022/2023.
Hon. Lokeris further pointed out that Uganda’s Vision 2040 envisions a minerals sector that is a major driver of employment creation and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth.
He also said the National Development Plan III (NDP III) shows that in 2017/2018, the number of people employed in the mineral sector were 1.6 million and that this number is expected to rise to 2.6 million in 2024/2025.
“Therefore, planning and investing in mineral development should be undertaken to realise the sector’s vast potential, and returns to the economy. These returns include direct revenue, job creation, and upward and downward linkages to other sectors of the economy including industrialisation, agriculture, and human capital development”, he further explained.
The Workshop is being sponsored in partnership with Kingdom of the Netherlands, GIZ, Planet Gold Uganda and International Conference on the Great Lakes Region among others.
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