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SA firm, small scale miners strike joint venture
2006-07-10 08:58:46
By Pascal Shao
Gold mined by small scale miners will have permanent and reliable customers in the country who will buy it directly from the miners at the prices that is in the market.
This has come into being after the establishment of a joint venture between the union of small scale minors, Miners Trust and the South African based mining company, Precious Metals and Minerals (PMM).
Addressing journalists in dare s Salaam during the launching of the joint venture, PMM Chairperson, Manie Floris said his company has come to Tanzania to transfer knowledge and skills to the small scale miners in the country instead of taking money to South Africa.
He said the joint venture will be equally shared by each side whose objective is on working together on the project aimed at the development of small scale mining in Tanzania.
He said they are in the country to assist the Phase IV government’s pledge of creating a million jobs among the Tanzanian youth.
’I am here to teach miners how to fish instead of giving them fish. We are equipping miners with skills,’ the PMM official said.
Floris said with this project the lives of the Tanzanian small scale miners will change forever.
’My heart is with you people. I am here to help you. I am an African,’ he said.
The PMM chairperson said that his firm will equip miners with modern small scale mining tools to ensure mining activities are carried conveniently.
According to the venture, PMM has invested in the project USD 2.5 million for operations, technology and training of the miners while licenced miners will provide land for mining activities.
On her part, Miners Trust Chairperson, Martha Bitwale said small scale miners have identified their weaknesses and if the strengths of the two parties are brought together, they can make it.
She said the small scale miners have been excavating for minerals for a long but their lives have not changed, and added that it is hoped that the joint venture may change their lives.
According to the agreement, PMM agreed to strengthen the miners trust and build business capacity, marketing minerals on international market at reasonable prices and develop value adding skills on the mining operations.
Other commitments are training and skill transfer on business management and transformation of artisan mining from informal to formal.
Miners Trust, on its part, agreed to mobilise small scale miners to be trained, design programmes geared to advancement of youth in Tanzania, facilitate in the negotiation of prices of minerals from small scale miners.
Others are to coordinate issues pertaining policy and laws of the Tanzania on mineral development and avail office infrastructure.
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