Mines Development

The mandate of Mines Development Department (MDD) is to promote mineral resources development, to ensure that all mining activities are carried out in accordance with the provisions of the Mines and Minerals Development Act and its subsidiary legislation, and to ensure the implementation of the minerals resources development policy.

The functions of MDD include the issuance and administration of non-mining rights (mineral trading permits, mineral import and export permits and Gold panning certificates), monitoring of the mining and mineral processing operations to ensure that their development is in line with their approved programme of operations and in accordance with the Mines and Minerals Development Act No. 11 of 2015. The Department is also responsible for collection, compilation and dissemination of mineral production statistics and undertaking mine pit surveys, erection of beacons and issuance of pegging certificates, and demarcation and survey of mining rights.

Technical Departmental Structure

The Mines Development Department comprises of the following sections: –

1. Mines Development
2. Operations
3. Mineral Economics

1.Mines Development Section

Mines Development Section (Small Mining Development) focusses on the development of small-scale mining and mineral processing operations. This section is divided into the following two (2) units:

i. Survey Unit

This unit is responsible for:

• Demarcation and survey of mining rights areas.
• Erection of beacons and issuance of Pegging Certificates.
• Mine pit surveys
• Maintaining and updating survey records on all mining rights areas.

ii. Regional Mining Bureaux Unit

This unit is responsible for the provision of field technical services to small scale miners and mineral processors. The Department has a total of six (6) Regional Mining Bureaux (RMB). The Regional Mining Bureaux are located in the following towns:

1. Solwezi (North-Western Province)
2. Kitwe (Copperbelt Province)
3. Mansa (Luapula/ Northern Province)
4. Mkushi (Central Province)
5. Chipata (Eastern/ Muchinga Province)
6. Choma (Southern/ Western Province)

2. Operations Section

Operations Section (Large Mining Operations) focusses on the appraisal of proposed large scale mining ventures and the monitoring of large scale operations to ensure compliance. This section is divided into the following two (2) units:

i. Operations Unit

The unit is responsible for monitoring and inspecting large scale mining operations to ensure compliance with approved mining and mineral processing programmes and ensure non-wasteful mining practices.

ii. Projects Appraisal Unit

This unit is responsible for evaluating mining projects through feasibility study reports in order to determine their viability and ensure that they are being developed in accordance with the approved programs of operations. This unit is also responsible for appraising and monitoring of mining and mineral processing projects to ensure that the projects progress to the production stage.

3. Mineral Economics Section

Mineral Economics Section focuses on the issuance and administration of non-mining rights, the collection, compilation and processing of mineral statistics, and the monitoring and verification of mineral production at various points of the value chain. This section is divided into two (2) units:

i. Mineral Economics Unit

The Mineral Economics unit is responsible for:

• Collecting, compiling and processing of mining statistics (mineral production, mineral exports and sales, metal/mineral prices, mining investments, and labour statistics) in order to monitor performance and provide data to the end users;
• Processing mineral import and export permits, mineral trading permits, and gold panning certificates

ii. Mineral Value Chain Unit

This unit is responsible for monitoring the movement of minerals from their point of extraction at mine sites, through to their transit at weighbridges and finally to their exportation at border points and airports.

Transparency

We uphold transparency by sharing information and effectively communicating with each other and the public.

Accountability

We are responsible for every action taken or not taken in the course of duty and are liable to any consequences.

Integrity

We are honest, morally upright and conduct ourselves beyond reproach.

Patriotism

We put the interest of the citizens first in the management of mineral resources.

Objectivity

We are open and base our advice and decisions on unbiased and rigorous analysis of the evidence

Innovativeness

We are open to new ways of doing things in the development of the mining industry