By Tione Andsen
Lilongwe, December 19, Mana: Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) has
said Malawi has the potential in the mining industry that could easy translate
into the sustainable development of the country.
NCA country Director for Malawi, Stein Villumstad said this
Monday in Lilongwe during the opening of the 2017 Malawi Alternative Mining Indaba
at Crossroads hotel.
He pointed out that the sector offers a lot of potential but
it has been underutilized for many years for the development of the
country.
Villumstad said the mining sector could play a crucial role
as an alternative means of developing the country’s economic growth.
The country director observed that the country still uses outdated
laws to regulate the industry, saying this is having a negative impact to the implementation
of some mining projects in the country.
“The country needs to have updated laws that will take care
of interested parties, government’s responsibility and regulations, interest of
potential investors and the rights of local communities,” he explained.
Villumstad said government needs to have firm regulations to
safeguard the industry from being exploited by other stakeholders within the
mining sector.
The country director pointed out that the indaba would engage
all stakeholders interested in mining business, including government as key
player, investors and local communities in advancing its growth.
He viewed that various stakeholders would offer different experiences
around the region in terms mining potential, benefits and challenges being
encountered in the process.
Country Director of Oxfam, John Makina spelt the need for
the government to look at the recommendations that would be raised during the
indaba.
He added that the mining industry is facing so many
challenges in terms of regulation and the use of the available laws which need
to be reviewed to be in conformity with current situations.
“We need to move forward in addressing the challenge the
industry is facing and provide tangible solutions for the betterment of the
country in general,” Makina highlighted.
He said it was pleasing to note that Malawi submitted its
first ever Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report as one
way of promoting transparency and accountability in the sector.
Chairperson for Natural Resources Justice Network (NRJN),
Kossam Munthali bemoaned the absence of officials from the Ministry of Mines
and Natural Resources to the indaba.
He said this was the third indaba that has been organised
but Ministry officials, did not commit themselves to attend such gatherings
where they could have opportunities to explain some of the burning issues
affecting the sector.
The two day Mining Indaba has the theme-Transforming
Malawi’s Natural Resources Sustainable Development and has drawn participants
throughout the country ranging from Parliamentarians, Traditional leaders,
local community members, investors, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Civil
Society Organisations (CSOs) and the media.
