Parliament yesterday passed the new mining Bill following heated debate during which the MPs gave a rough time to the top government executives.

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, the Attorney General, Mr Frederick Werema, and the minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr William Ngeleja, had to endure two-and-a-half hours of candid contributions by the lawmakers, especially during the committee stage to go over the Bill.

Kigoma North MP Zitto Kabwe, Mr Andrew Chenge of Bariadi West, Speaker Samuel Sitta, Nominated MP Ismail Jussa, and Bumbuli MP William Shelukindo were among those who kept the front bench on its toes, constantly seeking clarifications on a number of issues.

The MPs, among other things, took issue with the inadequate compensation paid to villagers, whose land is acquired for mining and also called for more transparency in operations in the industry.

But it was the proposal to establish a Tanzania Mining Authority (TMA), which took the centre stage, sparking off a lot of interest in the House.

The MPs pressed the government to establish the mining authority to be charged with the responsibility of regulating the sector to ensure that the country fully benefits from it.

Speaker Sitta acknowledged in his remarks that the mining Bill was one of most hotly debated issues in the current Parliament.

Winding up debate, Energy minister Ngeleja said the government would seriously consider the MPs' views.

Some 84 MPs contributed to the Bill, which was debated for two days. While 23 MPs had an opportunity to contribute on the floor, 61 sent their views in writing. It thus became the most debated Bill during the 19th parliamentary meeting, which ended last evening.

Commenting on the proposal to set up the mining authority, the minister said it was crucial that such an institution be established. However, he added, its establishment would require adequate cash and some deep analysis. In other countries, he said, this would necessitate a study to learn how such entities operate.

Mr Ngeleja, who is the Sengerema MP, said the government had already taken measures to prevent the smuggling of tanzanite gemstones.

A fence would be erected at Mererani, where tanzanite is mined, but the initiation of the project would depend on the availability of funds in the ministry's budget.

Mr Ngeleja also said the government would consider engaging itself in the ownership of mining firms through State Mining Company (Stamico).

The minister said the mining sector had immensely contributed to the improvement of Tanzanians' lives in the past 10 years. However, the new legislation, he added, was meant to further boost the sector's contribution to the national economy.

The mining industry had also contributed to the construction of trunk roads and in developing health and education facilities.

"The construction of infrastructure and provision of social services have improved in the past 10 years. This is great success that we need to acknowledge," Mr Ngeleja said.

Contributing to the Bill earlier, Maswa MP John Shibuda said there was need to revamp the mining sector to make it contribute more to the war against poverty.

He urged the country to use its abundant natural resources to fight poverty "as no person from abroad will help bring development to Tanzania but Tanzanians themselves".

Mr Shibuda said it was a pity that it was foreign countries and companies, which were benefiting more from the exploitation of Tanzania's raw materials.

Parliament, he proposed, should form a special department to review Bills before being tabled in the House to avoid unnecessary changes and time-consuming debate.

He said the numerous amendments to the mining Bill had caused the prolonged debate.

"Parliament needs a department that will employ qualified lawyers to analyse and make changes to Bills before they are tabled for debate to ease the MPs' duty and save time during discussions," Mr Shibuda said.

Tabora Urban MP Siraju Kaboyonga urged the Tanzania Investment Bank (TIB) to assist small-scale miners with loans and other financial support.

Mr Kaboyonga said the government should also enable Stamico to supervise small-scale miners, who had shown great potential without such support.

The Nzega MP, Mr Lucas Selelii, said small-scale miners should be assisted to acquire modern mining equipment and loans and to access better market for their gemstones.