The Mozambican state loses 360 million meticais annually due to illegal trafficking and smuggling of mineral products, especially gold.

According to the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME), the destination of some of the gold produced in artisanal mining is unknown, a situation that is worrying government authorities.

The data were advanced by the Inspector General of Mineral Resources and Energy, Obede Matine, who recently visited the provinces of Manica, Tete, Zambézia and Nampula, where he had contacts with different actors involved in the export of minerals.

To reverse the scenario, a multi-sectoral team has been set up that includes the Inspectorate General of Mineral Resources and Energy, the Kimberly Process Management Unit, as well as the Natural Resources and Environment Protection Police. These institutions will be tasked with checking the vulnerability of the product's exit points and finding solutions to the problem.

MIREME intends to increase the contribution of mining production in the country's export statistics, and one of its first steps will be a national survey on artisanal mining.

Initially, the survey will cover the provinces of Nampula, Maputo, Gaza and Inhambane, and later will be extended to Sofala, Tete, Manica, Zambézia, Cabo Delgado and Niassa, where the work will be completed by the end of the year. The country's statistics show that mining production contributes to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with approximately nine percent.

This contribution is described as still being far from its real potential, also taking into account its weight, particularly with regard to job creation in the communities where mining occurs.