KAMPALA- The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt Hon Thomas Tayebwa has called for transparency in the mineral sector and asked the Minister in charge of Mineral Development to do away with vendors of mining licenses.
Rt Hon Tayebwa made the remarks today while speaking at the official opening of the 13th Mineral Wealth Conference which took place on Tuesday at the Kampala Serena Hotel in Kampala.
The Conference was organized by the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum, in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development of the Government of Uganda and other stakeholders and was held under the theme: “Leveraging Critical Minerals for Sustainable Development and Economic Transformation.”
While speaking on the issue of environmental protection, Rt Hon Tayebwa asked the stake holders in in Mineral Development sector to professionalize and ensure that internationally accepted Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices are used and respected while mining, as the sector has a huge impact on our environment.
Rt Hon Tayebwa also called on the mining companies to involve the local communities in their business to develop the areas where they are mining and emphasized that the conference is an important platform for discussing strategies for unlocking our mineral wealth for sustainable development.
The Deputy Speaker noted that Uganda’s mining industry is growing steadily, with increasing interest from both local and international investors after Parliament enacted the Mining and Minerals Act 2022 to strengthen the legal and regulatory framework to ensure responsible and sustainable mining.
While speaking at the same event, the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development Hon Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, informed the participants that progress is ongoing to have regulations in place to enable the full implementation of the law and Rt Hon Tayebwa noted that Parliament has decided that any laws aimed at facilitating the business community should be given priority.
Minister Nankabirwa however said that the conference builds on the success of previous conferences, which have established Uganda and the whole region as a prime destination for mineral investment and exploration.
