Investors in the mining industry can now get information about mines and licences in a one-stop-shop after the ministry of mining launched an online portal to attract investment and improve transparency in the sector.
Over the years, investors have shied away from pursuing their prospects due to skeletons of information regarding mine deposits and licensing, causing delays in exploring the mineral potential of the country. The online portal known as mining cadastre is meant to provide essential information to assist regional and international investors in understanding the mining landscape of Kenya and making informed evaluation of investment opportunities provided by the sector.
The cadastre is a public register showing details of ownership of the real property in a certain area and includes boundaries and tax assessments. It records all applications for various types of licences from prospecting to exploration and finally exploitation and mining and at the same time issues titles for these licences.
Deputy President William Ruto said that the portal will help improve transparency in the mining sector as well as streamlining operations on the sector by making information available from one location.
“Thanks to the online cadastre. Any qualified person from any part of the world may apply for a mineral licence and they will have the ability to work or to track the process of their application(s) and once granted they can submit their compliance documents and most importantly pay online. This is a major shift in the sector of mineral management. It will enhance efficiency, transparency and increase predictability in the mining sector,” said the Deputy President, William Ruto while launching the cadastre today.
The mining cadastre comes at a time when the parliament has passed the Mining Bill 2014, awaiting review by the senate and a nod by the President. The current Mining Act has been in existence for 74 years, dating back in 1940.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Mining Patrick Omutia, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Mining Najib Balala noted that the cadastre will create a major overhaul on the way mining has been done in the country over the years and make the process both efficient and transparent.
“Today, we are going away from the paper-based system to an online application system so that wherever you are in any part of this world, you are able to access this freely available system at your convenience, rather than having to visit government offices,” noted the CS.
Through the online cadastre, investors can apply online for licences, renew licences, surrender idle mining space, reduce mining areas under one’s control and even transfer the licence from one party to another.
According to the principal secretary, the new online cadastre guarantees a maximum period of three months for feedback after application. The previous manual system could take a minimum of 18 months after application.
