Mozambique Recovers Undeclared Gold Amid Efforts to Combat Mineral Smuggling

The Mozambican government has recovered approximately 30 kilograms of undeclared gold from mining operators in the central province of Manica over recent years.

Silva Manuel, Director of the Manica Provincial Service for Infrastructure, Mineral Resources, and Energy, told AIM that this recovery is a result of ongoing tracking efforts aimed at combating mineral exploitation and smuggling.

However, the actual quantity of undeclared gold may exceed 30 kilograms. Companies operating in Mozambique’s mining sector have been involved in under-invoicing and tax evasion, resulting in significant financial losses for the state.

In recent years, the reported gold production in Manica has increased, partly due to improved declaration practices by mining companies.

However, artisanal mining by individuals, including many Zimbabweans, continues to occur, with some production being sold outside of the official mineral sales circuit.

The government’s tracking efforts have enabled the recovery of undeclared gold, potentially increasing state revenue.

“Operators are now declaring the amount of gold produced because they know that, even if they don’t, they will be discovered through our tracking efforts. This initiative is yielding positive results,” Manuel stated.

As a result of these efforts, declared gold production increased from 400.03 kilograms in 2022 to 759.13 kilograms in 2023.

“Last year, we saw record production, and this year, the province is expected to produce over 800 kilograms of gold,” Manuel added.

Despite the progress, Manuel emphasized the need for collaboration between the population and mining operators to eliminate illegal mineral exploitation and sales in Manica.

“We aim to continue our ground efforts, but this requires adequate resources for our technical staff to be present at mining sites. Currently, we conduct only two or three surveys a month,” he explained.

Ideally, these surveys should be conducted at least twice a week. “What encourages us is that operators are now aware they can be tracked at any time and are voluntarily declaring their production,” Manuel said.

Mining in Manica is conducted industrially by licensed companies, but data from the mining sector indicates that more than ten thousand artisanal miners, both Mozambican and foreign, are extracting gold in the province.