The Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines has expanded its artisanal miner licensing pilot in Buhweju District, issuing a second tranche of cooperative-based artisanal licences under the Mining and Minerals Act 2022.
The pilot combines geological mapping of small-scale zones, cooperative registration, safety training and a supply agreement with a licensed aggregator. Officials say the model is designed to be transferable to Mubende, Karamoja and other ASM-heavy sub-regions during 2024.
For UMT, the Buhweju pilot is one of the strongest signals that Uganda's formalisation agenda is being implemented, not merely announced. The task in 2024 is to scale without diluting the design.