09:19
 |
| Professor Mussa Assad |
"Strategies
for enforcement of environmental control system were not clearly set out,"
the CAG, Professor Mussa Assad, said in his recently released performance audit
report on enforcement of environmental control systems in the mining sector in
Tanzania.
He
said that those planning tools did not indicate clear strategies for
environmental enforcement in mine operations and availed strategic plans and
annual work plans did not address key risk factors which were associated with
mining sector, as well as those factors that would require immediate NEMC
intervention.
"Non
availability of these enforcement parameters for guiding enforcement of
environmental control systems in medium and small scale mines made it difficult
for NEMC to assess its level of performance," the CAG said.
According
to him, NEMC has not adequately used information from other actors such as
local government authorities and ministries, departments and agencies in
performing its compliance and enforcement activities.
The
overall tasks of overseeing and enforcing the implementation of environmental
control systems in mines to maintain environmental quality standards are
falling under the purviews of the Vice-President's Office-Directorate of
Environment and NEMC, respectively.
Their
mandates are vested in them by Environmental Management Act No. 20 of 2004 and
its Regulations of 2005. If the environment is left unmanaged and unregulated,
then it may result into endangering human health, life, ecological balance as
well as deterioration of other living things.
In
his report, therefore, Prof. Assad recommended to NEMC to undertake proper
monitoring or inspections in order to establish performance profile of those
facilities whose enforcement is vital with the view of establishing the
compliance level of each of the mining facilities.
The
Vice-President's Office, the CAG recommends the Environment Directorate to
ensure environmental enforcement activities done by NEMC, Sector Ministries and
Local Government Authorities are properly coordinated, harmonized and all
stakeholders establish a firm reporting line.
He
recommended further that the Directorate should ensure that it monitors NEMC's
performance on enforcement of the environmental control systems in the mining
sector by regularly reviewing its performance as well as improving its capacity
on human resource, financial and technology in meeting its overall enforcement
objectives.
