President Lazarus Chakwera says his administration will this year establish a Mining Regulatory Authority to be responsible for regulation, management and utilisation of the country’s mineral resources.

The Malawi leader, who addressed the nation on Sunday night, said the development follows continued unregulated mining activities that the country has been registering which has also seen Malawians been exploited.

According to Chakwera, government is ready to present a Bill on establishment of the Authority in the forthcoming sitting of the National Assembly.

“In the June sitting of Parliament, my Administration will present a Bill to establish a Mining Regulatory Authority.
The Authority’s mandate will be to regulate the development, management, and utilization of our country’s mineral resources in line with sustainable development principles and practices,” said Chakwera.

President Chakwera added that the Authority will also be responsible for monitoring and enforcing the compliance of mining licensees in the country.

“The Authority will execute its regulatory mandate by fulfilling the following functions: receiving and processing mineral tenement applications; granting, withholding, suspending, and revoking mineral licenses.

“In readiness for the regulatory work to be done by the Mining Authority, the Ministry of Mining has already engaged the Malawi Police Service on the best way the two institutions can work together in curbing illegal mining and smuggling of our country’s minerals,” said the Malawi Leader.

According to Chakwera, the Reserve Bank of Malawi has already started implementing his directive to start buying gold from artisanal miners as mandated by its Act of Parliament of 2018.

That Act empowers the Reserve Bank to be the sole institution to purchase, sell, or hold gold in Malawi and we are serious about its enforcement.