Tanzania is one of the African countries to benefit from a new technology launched yesterday to combat illegal trade in minerals.
The technology -- Analytical Finger Print (AFP) Laboratory -- is set to be a big boost in fighting illegal minerals trade, especially for countries from the Great Lakes Zone.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said yesterday that AFP uses ultra modern technology to analyse minerals and helps track their origin.
He made the remarks while presiding over the launch of a new AFP laboratory at the Africa Minerals and Geoscience Centre (AMGC) in Dar es Salaam yesterday,
“The laboratory, which cost 6.5million euros and is the first in Africa and second in the world, will analyse the chemical signature of a sample and compare to the minerals or data base concentrate to establish whether they match and therefore identify, where they are originated from,” he said.
AMGC and BGR (Geological Survey of Germany) and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) collaborated to install the AFP labaratory in the city. The PM said the technology will especially be helpful in curbing the smuggling of the triple T minerals, which are Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten, through certification of minerals before they are traded.
Tanzania embarked on legal and institutional reforms to ensure transparency and better yields from the mining sector, Mr Majaliwa said.
“History in the mining sector may be different, but the differences are very little compared to similarities, therefore, we can help each other in all mining revolutions,” he said.
Minerals minister Angellah Kairuki said the labaratory would not only ensure that countries fully benefit from their natural resources, but also stop the abuse of the 3T minerals to fund violence in the Great Lake regions.
Prof Simon Msanjila, the Minerals permanent secretary, said all minerals in the periodic table will be certified and those found to not match will be rejected and legal action taken against the culprits.
The technology -- Analytical Finger Print (AFP) Laboratory -- is set to be a big boost in fighting illegal minerals trade, especially for countries from the Great Lakes Zone.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said yesterday that AFP uses ultra modern technology to analyse minerals and helps track their origin.
He made the remarks while presiding over the launch of a new AFP laboratory at the Africa Minerals and Geoscience Centre (AMGC) in Dar es Salaam yesterday,
“The laboratory, which cost 6.5million euros and is the first in Africa and second in the world, will analyse the chemical signature of a sample and compare to the minerals or data base concentrate to establish whether they match and therefore identify, where they are originated from,” he said.
AMGC and BGR (Geological Survey of Germany) and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) collaborated to install the AFP labaratory in the city. The PM said the technology will especially be helpful in curbing the smuggling of the triple T minerals, which are Tin, Tantalum, Tungsten, through certification of minerals before they are traded.
Tanzania embarked on legal and institutional reforms to ensure transparency and better yields from the mining sector, Mr Majaliwa said.
“History in the mining sector may be different, but the differences are very little compared to similarities, therefore, we can help each other in all mining revolutions,” he said.
Minerals minister Angellah Kairuki said the labaratory would not only ensure that countries fully benefit from their natural resources, but also stop the abuse of the 3T minerals to fund violence in the Great Lake regions.
Prof Simon Msanjila, the Minerals permanent secretary, said all minerals in the periodic table will be certified and those found to not match will be rejected and legal action taken against the culprits.