Energy Ministry Stops Hard-Copy Applications For Mineral Rights

The energy ministry has said they have stopped receiving over the counter applications for mineral rights until the online application opens on August 30, 2019.

This is under the programme to upgrade the country’s Mining Cadastre and Registry System (MCRS) to an e-government based mineral licensing system

In a statement, Robert Kasande, the Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary said that from 12-29, August 2019, the government will not receive any mineral right application on the counter as it prepares for the online mineral applications and licensing system.

The online system was launched early this year but could not start as the ministry made preparations for its official start this month. The system will also see the particulars of artisanal miners captured into the online register.

The artisanal miners would be registered under the Biometric Registration of Artisanal and Small Scale Miners Project (BRASM).

According to Kasande, through the online system, companies and individuals will be able to submit applications online, undertake all other business processes online and view the status of their application in real-time. The system is expected to cut on the paper clutter, reduce on incidences of corruption and cases of lost applications.

“The online mineral licensing system is expected to improve transparency and increase the accessibility of information, boost productivity, eliminate bureaucracy, reduce on the time taken to process applications for minerals rights,” Kasande said in a statement.