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{
    "id": 1235533,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1235533/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 244,
    "type": "other",
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    "content": "In addition, the Department has undertaken a comprehensive audit of all mineral rights holders with a view to cleaning existing data. With no new license being awarded, the Government managed to find out all expired and inactive licenses within its register with a view to degazetting them hence freeing up areas for potential investors. The Government recognizes the central role played by over 800,000 artisanal and small-scale minors in poverty eradication and socio-economic development. It is therefore identified formalisation and capacity building of these critical players as a key priority under the bottom up economic transformation agenda. Currently, the Ministry is at the forefront of forming artisanal minors’ cooperative societies from the over 420 identified groups in preparation for the issuance of mining permits. The Department has also upgraded and is equipping national mineral testing and analysis laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment. Plans are underway to make it International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certified to enhance its credibility internationally. Decentralizing lab services to regions is also being undertaken to reduce cost of sending samples to the lab in Nairobi. The Department has been carrying out mapping of illegal mining areas, profiling these activities and is liaising with other Government agencies to curb illegal mining operations and restore order, security and associated gains through strengthening of the compliance and enforcement and inspectorate functions. I will respond to the final part of the question because it says what plans are in place to have the moratorium lifted. (c) The department has put in the necessary safeguards aimed at sustaining the gains already realized and informed decisions for lifting of moratorium. Towards this end, the Ministry has undertaken a number of reforms aimed at inspiring the mining sector in the country and attract investors to this sector. The initiatives being undertaken are as follows: (1) Conclusion of the Airborne Geological Geophysical Survey and generation of a preliminary report identifying over 970 mineral occurrences across the country. (2) Initiating the process of ground truthing in prioritized 16 counties with critical and strategic minerals. (3) Concluded the development of an in-house in-country mineral processing system and online mining cadastral integrated with national institutions such as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), e-citizen, business registration services, among others. This will allow Government broader control of all mineral rights and ensure timely issuance of mineral rights as stipulated in the Mining Act 2016. (4) Instituted a comprehensive audit of all mineral rights and weeded out all illegal licenses, inactive, expired, idle and speculative hoarding to free up areas for serious investors and concessions. (5) Prioritized the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining through formation of marketing cooperatives to enhance artisanal mining incomes, simplify the regulatory environment and improve their mining standards."
}