Tanzania: GST To Spend 20bn/- On State Of The Art Mineral Research Labs

By Prosper Makene, Geita

The Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) is planning to spend 20bn/- for the construction of three state–of–the–art laboratories to facilitate professional minerals sampling in the country.

GST’s planning and marketing manager, Priscus Benard told journalists at the sideline of the 7^th Geita International Mineral and Technology Expo that the project is part of at least three ongoing initiatives that the state-owned entity is accomplishing with an eye to facelift and improve the performance of the key economic facet within the country.

Benard also said that the laboratory which is set to be constructed in Mbeya, Geita and Dodoma regions will be installed with the latest high-tech facilities to give a meaningful opportunity to the small and middle-scale artisanal to professionally test their mineral samples.

In another development, GST’s planning and marketing manager pointed out that they also set aside a total of 73bn/- to facilitate crucial work for conduction of high-resolution airborne geophysical survey into different areas mapped within the country’s western zone.

He underscored that since its inception, over 99 years now, the GST had  managed to conduct the crucial survey for only 16 percent in the country using a special jet.

He hailed President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan for injecting the state-owned scientific department with a sound budget in the current fiscal year enough to enable it to procure a geophysical survey tailor-made plane, saying the jet will be obtained at a cost of around 4bn/-.

“For the maiden time in our country's history we are now heading to have our jet for performing the much-needed high-resolution airborne geophysical survey of the underneath kinds of rocks deposits, the development which is projected to advance the sector into the new heights,” he said.

With the envisaged jet, he said the GST is expected to conduct the crucial survey in the country’s western zones, covering at least 18 percent.

“You can just imagine, for over 99 years we only succeeded in conducting the high resolution airborne geophysical survey for 16 percent, but this year alone, the survey we’re going to do will cover at least 18 percent in the country’s area,” he insisted.

So far, he detailed that GST has already conducted a low-resolution survey for at least 97 percent, a geochemical survey for 24 percent and a geophysical survey for over 99 percent.

“This research has played a key role in helping the available mining companies to survive, and we’re looking forward to the fact that the high-resolution airborne geophysical survey we're about to conduct will push the sector into advanced levels,” he said.

In Dodoma’s Capital City, he said the facility which will serve as the country’s minerals sampling headquarters laboratory will have the capacity to test all minerals samples, and will be constructed in Kizota area, saying that processes for its construction were at good preliminary stages.

He said the government, through GST was currently working tooth and nail to ensure equity and professional metamorphosis of the mining sector, the strategy which among others, will see the adoption of high technologies, including the high-resolution airborne geophysical survey as well as geotechnical survey.

“The availability of modern minerals testing labs will play a meaningful role in attracting more investors to chip in the sector, as well as improving the performance,” he observed.

GST is the government agency responsible for the acquisition and storage of geoscientific data and information used in the mineral resources sector and other sectors of the economy.

GST is active in promoting mineral exploration and mining in Tanzania. GST core activities range from geological mapping, mineral exploration, evaluation, and processing, and research work on geological processes and mineral systems and geohazards.

GST’s vision is to evolve as a centre of excellence providing national geoscientific data and information for use in the evaluation and sustainable utilization of natural resources. GST maintains a balance of resources between its primary responsibilities of conducting geological mapping geodata management, technological and conceptual research and development, and providing services to both the public and private sector.