The Dawn of a Progressive ASM Sector in Tanzania

The Tanzania Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) Dialogue Platform known as Jukwaa la Majadiliano ya Kuendeleza Uchimbaji Mdogo Tanzania (JUMKUTA), is organising a Development Partners’ meeting that will be held on February 13, 2019 in Dar es Salaam.

Formed in 2018, JUMKUTA is a platform aimed at providing a formal and institutional governance structure to the Learning and Leadership Group (LLG). The LLG is a result of the Tanzania ASM dialogue programme hosted by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) with HakiMadini, MTL Consulting and HakiRasilimali since 2016. It is a group of individual members representing key ASM stakeholders in Tanzania with the objective of developing and implementing the Roadmap for ASM reform, which resulted from the dialogue programme. JUMKUTA’s vision is to promote a responsible, inclusive and sustainable ASM working on three core functions namely; dialogue, multi-stakeholder communication and networking, and implementation of Roadmap workstreams.

ASM sector in Tanzania is known to be a central livelihood activity for people living in mining villages. The sector is integrated with other livelihood activities including farming, livestock and petty businesses or trading. It is recognised that if managed well the ASM business can be a source of income for improved livelihoods and further diversified business ventures.

Recognising the ASM sector’s potential, putting in place the necessary policy and practice reforms could be the best way to addressing some of the health, safety and environmental challenges that the sector is associated with. Further, such reforms would ensure access to markets, finance and technology that are crucial for the progress of ASM and linked businesses. Appropriate policy reforms would also create a conducive environment for active and meaningful participation of women.

JUMKUTA and its current partners, HakiMadini, SWISSAID-Tanzania and IIED have been collaborating on laying out the foundation for effective implementation of the ASM Roadmap to drive policy and practice reforms. The Development Partners’ meeting will provide an opportunity to showcase progress made thus far, share planning around core activities of the Roadmap and mobilise support from the various development partners in attendance. The event will help JUMKUTA to facilitate knowledge and experience sharing, generate feedback on its programmatic Roadmap, and inspire networking and potential partnerships. Representatives from the Tanzanian Government as well as international organizations working or with interest in the Tanzanian ASM, non-government organisations, civil society organizations and others will attend the event.

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