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Federation welcomes proposed minerals processing, value addition regulations
July 24, 2026 / Wahard Betha
The federation of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in Malawi (FASMIM) has welcomed Malawi Government’s decision to draft minerals processing and value addition regulations saying it will empower locals and create conducive environment for the subsector.
The Ministry of Mining is finalising Value Addition Regulations which aim at promoting local mineral beneficiation and processing in line with Presidential Executive Order, which prohibits the export of raw minerals from Malawi.
FASMIM President Percy Maleta said in an interview the regulations will significantly benefit the sector if they are practical, clear, predictable and align with industry realities.
He said: “We fully support the objective of increasing local beneficiation, creating jobs, attracting investment and ensuring Malawi derives greater value from its mineral resources.”
“However, the realities of the ASM subsector must be considered. Since the prohibition of raw mineral exports, miners, dealers and exporters have faced significant uncertainty regarding what constitutes acceptable processing and value addition.”
“The lack of clear guidelines has affected market access, tied up working capital, disrupted businesses and negatively impacted miner livelihoods.”
Maleta said there is a need for the regulations to clearly define value addition for different minerals, recognize that value addition begins immediately after extraction, and provide a gradual pathway for compliance based on the capacity of operators.
He said: “For gemstones, activities such as cleaning, sorting, grading, certification, cutting, faceting, polishing and jewelry manufacturing should all be recognised as legitimate forms of value addition.”
“We recommend clear and simple regulations; mineral-specific guidelines; recognition of different levels of value addition; support through training, finance, equipment and technology; continued stakeholder consultation; reasonable compliance requirements and; incentives that encourage investment in processing and beneficiation.”
But Maleta said it would have helped if the regulations were operationalized much earlier saying the sector has endured more than a year of uncertainty due to the delays in formulating them
“Nevertheless, it is better to establish a workable framework now than to continue operating without clarity. FASMIM remains committed to working with Government and all stakeholders to ensure the final regulations promote compliance, investment, growth and sustainable development within Malawi's mining sector,” he said.
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The establishment of a stable and self-sustaining ecosystem, but not necessarily the one that existed before mining began. In many cases, complete restoration may be impossible, but successful remediation, reclamation, and rehabilitation can result in the timely establishment of a functional ecosystem.
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Remediation:
The cleanup of the contaminated area to safe levels by removing or isolating contaminants. At mine sites, remediation often consists of isolating contaminated material in pre-existing tailings storage facilities, capping tailings and waste rock stockpiles with clean topsoil, and collecting and treating any contaminated mine water if necessary.
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