This was revealed by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa during a post-cabinet media briefing yesterday.
Other initiatives to attain the vision include fast tracking exploration, evaluation and digitalization of selected reserved areas under the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, as well as other high level targets and implementation of a robust value addition programme for diamonds.
She went on to say that the issuance and renewal of special grants for energy should also be based on the financial and technical capacity to value-add all types of coal, as well as for ideal exploration of Coal Bed Methane.
“For renewal of special grants, consideration should take into account the period the Special Grant has been held as well as plans with milestones for value addition of the special grant,” she said.
The Zimbabwean government expects gold to drive the mining sector in order to achieve the ambitious target, with the yellow metal expected to contribute about US$4 billion to the US$12 billion dollar target.
Speaking last month during a tour of Shamva Gold Mine, about 70 km outside Harare, Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando expressed confidence in the mining sector’s ability to achieve the ambitious vision which will quadruple the country’s mining sector value.
“And that vision is in the process of being achieved day by day, brick by brick, it’s in the process of being achieved. The mining industry has been given a milestone of being a US$12 billion industry by the year 2023,” Minister Chitando said.
The mining sector has the potential to revive the economy, as in 2019, mining operations accounted for over 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s foreign currency receipts, with the sector contributing around 16 percent of national GDP, according to the Chamber of Mines.
