Mining sector review report: Canadians on intense lobbying mission in Dodoma
THISDAY REPORTER
Dodoma
A DELEGATION led by the Canadian High Commissioner to Tanzania, Janet Siddall, is in Dodoma to lobby MPs about their position on the report findings of the presidential mining sector review committee, which is set to be debated in the National Assembly during the ongoing budget session, it has been revealed.
Parliamentary sources told THISDAY that Ambassador Siddall and other senior officials from the Canadian High Commission in Dar es Salaam have in fact been in Dodoma for the past week, holding private meetings with legislators and other consultations.
It is understood that the Canadian team has been in talks with influential lawmakers from both the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and the Opposition camp.
A number of Canadian companies, particularly the giant Barrick Corporation, are heavily involved in the country's mining sector, and according to various industry watchers, would be hardest hit if the government were to carry out many of the wide-ranging reforms to current mining policy and taxation, as recommended by the report of the committee chaired by retired judge Mark Bomani.
''They (the Canadian delegation) are keen to ensure that our Parliament does not endorse the Bomani committee report for immediate implementation, because that would have quite negative consequences for that country's business and investment interests in Tanzania,'' a parliamentary source told THISDAY.
''I believe the lobbyists are trying to convince MPs not to endorse the committee report, and instead recommend that it should be forwarded to experts for a critical analysis of its implications to this country's investment climate and future financial welfare of the (investing) mining companies,'' the source added.
Several MPs have also confirmed to THISDAY that Ms Siddall, Counsellor Ines Le Minter, and other embassy officials have been holding meetings with the legislators, either individually or in small groups, outside the Bunge Hall and at the Dodoma Hotel.
It has also been learnt that MPs who have had private meetings with Ms Siddall and other delegation members include those who were also members of the Bomani committee.
''These meetings have been both formal and informal. But the Canadians seem to have a lot of interest in the forthcoming Bunge debate on the mining sector review report,'' our sources said.
The Canadian ambassador was yesterday not available for comment, with a local Canadian embassy trade official, Gasper Tarimo, telling THISDAY that she will be in a better position to grant an interview with our reporter once she returned to Dar es Salaam.
According to Kigoma North legislator Zitto Kabwe (CHADEMA) who was a member of the Bomani committee, he too had a meeting with the Canadian delegation. He, however, declined to say what exactly was discussed.
Said Zitto: ''All I can say is that Tanzania is a sovereign country and it makes its own independent decisions. We have listened to their advice, just as we listened to them in the past when drafting our mining and tax laws that have now disadvantaged us.''
Another member of the committee, John Cheyo (Bariadi East-UDP), said there was nothing wrong with a foreign country lobbying for its business interests in Tanzania.
''This is what we call economic diplomacy, which our own ambassadors in foreign countries can emulate. They (Canadians) have seen a business threat to their companies and are meeting with MPs to voice their concerns. There is nothing bad about that,'' said Cheyo.
He added: ''The ambassador (Ms Siddall) wants to present her country's views on the matter, but they should understand that the recommendations in our report have taken into account national interests while seeking to avoid driving away investors at the same time.''
As the biggest investor in the local mining sector, Barrick Corp alone currently runs three large-scale gold mines at Bulyanhulu, North Mara and Tulawaka, is in the process of launching a fourth gold mine at Buzwagi, and is also running a nickel mine.