| Overview : Uganda’s strong economic growth, infrastructure boom and rapid urbanisation over the last two decades are driving the demand for construction materials, dimension stones, industrial minerals and semi-precious stones – Neglected Development Minerals. Often referred to as Low Value Minerals and Materials (LVMM) due to their low price as a function of their weight and their relatively low value to international commodity markets, these natural resources provide crucial inputs for domestic economic development (infrastructure, manufacturing, construction and agriculture to name a few) and have the potential to boost development through employment creation at the local level for millions people. The construction industry contributes over 12% of Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) and conservative estimates indicate that more than 1 million people in Uganda are engaged in this sector, with women making up more than 25% of the work force. However, the development of this sub-sector is constrained by a number of environmental, social and economic challenges. Neglected Development Minerals commonly operate in an uncertain legal and regulatory environment, with a lack of publicly available and easily accessible geological data, which exacerbates wasteful exploration and discourages investment in the sector. The oversight of environmental, social, health and safety issues is often inadequate, and weak or often non-existent technical extension services such as skills training, capacity building, access to technology, finance, appropriate equipment, investment information and markets, has contributed to the sector’s neglect. With greater attention, policy support and regulatory oversight; Neglected Development Minerals could play a key role in driving the Uganda’s inclusive growth agenda. In this context, the African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) Group of States, the European Union (EU), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have initiated the Development Minerals Programme, a three-year, €13.1m capacity building programme to support the Neglected Development Minerals (industrial minerals; construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones) sector in 40 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The initiative is aligned to the aspirations of the African Mining Vision (AMV) and seeks to ensure natural resources are used in a sustainable way and for the benefit of all. It is intended to strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders so as to: increase the sub-sector’s productivity; enhance the management mining operations; encourage adhere to national and international environmental and health standards; and prevent conflict through effective community relations. The capacity building interventions of the programme are targeted at public stakeholders such as regulatory agencies and local governments; private stakeholders including small-scale mining enterprises, construction companies, intermediaries, transportation and logistics service providers; business development stakeholders such as mining and quarrying associations, chambers of mines, training centres, universities, consulting companies; and social stakeholders such as civil society organizations and community groups. In collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), UNDP is seeking the services of a qualified national consultant to develop the programme road map and multi-year work plan for ACP Development Minerals Programme in Uganda. The draft programme road map and multi-year work plan is expected to be validated during a National Consultation workshop with key stakeholders during the course of the assignment. |
