Malawi seeking to break mining dilemmas
The Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority (MMRA) says the revised mineral title fees will strengthen regulation of Malawi’s mining sector, improve licensing services and intensify monitoring of exploration and mining activities.
The new fees replace the 2021 regulations and are meant to align charges with the current administrative, operational and regulatory demands of the sector, to promote responsible development and utilisation of the country’s mineral resources.
In a response to Malawi News Agency (MANA), MMRA Spokesperson Sella Singini said the old fee structure had not been reviewed since 2021, hence the need to update it.
“The revision is intended to ensure that the fee structure remains relevant to the regulatory demands of the mining sector,” she said.
The Mines and Minerals (Mineral Title Fees) Regulations, 2026, cover eight categories of mineral titles. One of the major changes is the increase in the small-scale mining licence application processing fee from K30,000, as shown on a previously published application form, to K350,000.
Singini said the additional revenue will support improvements in application processing, mineral title registration and records management, as well as regular field inspections, compliance monitoring and enforcement of the Mines and Minerals Act, 2023.
She said the revised fees are not meant to discourage Malawians, particularly artisanal and small-scale miners, from joining the sector.
“The revision of mineral title fees is not intended to discourage participation in the mining sector or create unnecessary barriers to formalisation,” Singini said.
She added that MMRA will continue conducting public awareness activities to explain licensing requirements, applicable fees and procedures to prospective miners.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Mining and Energy, Grain Wyson Malunga, said the revised fees could encourage meaningful investment by discouraging speculative acquisition of mineral rights.He said differentiated charges for local individuals and institutions and foreign companies are important in encouraging local participation in mining.
Malunga also said escalating annual ground rent for exploration licences could discourage investors from holding mineral rights without undertaking meaningful exploration.
“Escalated fees will discourage laissez-faire attitude in exploration programmes,” he said.
He further described the adjustments as justifiable in view of the depreciation of the kwacha, saying higher charges could discourage applications made for speculative purposes rather than genuine investment.
