The Public Appointments Committee  of Parliament (PAC) has given Ministry of Mining a 14-day ultimatum to furnish the Committee with details on the progress of construction of its laboratory.

The ultimate comes from a background as Malawi continues exporting mineral samples abroad for verification.

Appearing before the Committee, Secretary for Mining Joseph Mkandawire said when the samples are sent abroad, they are exported back home when all tests are conducted.

“What happens is that when an investor identifies it will be taken to Geological Survey they will value and then the Department of Mines will issue an export permit then charge a loyalty from that particular sample,” he said.

“When sample goes out it depends on what test and analysis that you are going to do, if the analysis that is going to be chemical in nature then the rocks will dissolve, and when it’s a big rock it is sent back home when they are done with their tests.”

But in his reaction, the Committee’s Chairperson Shadric Namalomba said the controversy behind exporting samples can only be dealt with once the Mining Laboratory is completed.

“The construction of the laboratory and its accreditation are very critical aspects for the mining industry because what is happening because we don’t have the laboratory samples are being exported outside in huge quantities.

“The question is are we really exporting samples or we are exporting the real minerals and when they (minerals) have been exported, Malawians don’t have a chance to know what has happen, if they are just samples, we need to know,” said Namalomba.