Ministry of Mining has singled out inadequate staff as one the major factors that is constraining progress of work at the Ministry.

Secretary for Mining Joseph Mkandawire said the newly established Ministry is lacking experts in the mining field at a time the country is exploring different minerals.

He said: “There are two parts, first is the cooperate office, it’s a new office, it has just started and we are bringing in people, but the technical officers, that’s where my major worry is.

“Because we need bodies that can deliver, the situation where we are like we have ten trucks three drivers which means seven trucks are not moving.”

However, Mkandawire has told Yoneco FM that he has written government requesting for staff in all vacant positions for smooth running of activities in the Ministry.

“What we have done is that we have engaged our colleagues in the Department of Human Resources and Management Development and then Treasury so that we can fill in the prioritized vacancies in terms of chemists, environmentalists, explosive experts mining lawyers and engineers
So, it’s a process and we have submitted that to government and we hope we can be able to recruit,” said Mkandawire.

The Ministry has also requested government to do a functional review in order to decentralize its functions to mineral hotspots areas aiming at responding problems in time and provide advocacy and sustainable mining.

The Ministry of Mining was established recently following the rise in discovery of minerals across the country.