The Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Irrigation and Natural Resources and Climate Change has described the Geological Survey Department is key to the country’s mineral exploration.
In a report presented in Parliament, committee chairperson Tiaone Hendry said the mining sector, which displays huge potential and is currently attracting global companies, should have a well functiong Geological Survey Department.
Said Hendry: “Mining sector lacks its own geological data. The country depends on external investors for exploration and there is no adequate equipment to verify mineral findings.
“This situation places Malawi at a disadvantage in negotiations and resource management.”
In an interview on Monday, Chamber of Mines and Energy national coordinator Grain Malunga said limited participation in mining projects partly reflects Malawi’s reliance on private investors to conduct exploration.
He said: “For a long time, Malawians have been complaining that governments always get a minority share in local mining operations.
“But how do we get a larger share when another company took the risk and invested their money?”
The committee also proposed restructuring the Malawi Mining Investment Company (Mamico) and that mining licence fees should be raised from K10 000 to K1 million per year.
The low fees, according to the report, undermines the Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority potential to collect enough revenue from the sector, including foreign exchange as most of the players are foreign based.
Mining and Minerals Regulatory Authority last year licensed 1 222 companies, according to the 2026 Malawi Government Annual Economic Report.
The authority is projected to collect K2.2 billion and K2.5 billion in the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years, respectively.
In an interview on Monday, Mining and Mineral Regulatory Authority director general Mphatso Chikoti said the recommendations could be implemented with further consultations with relevant stakeholders through the ministry.
The Department of Mining earlier said stronger investment in exploration could enable the Malawi Government to identify commercially-viable mineral deposits before offering them to investors, giving Malawi greater leverage when negotiating mining development agreements.
The World Bank’s January 2026 Malawi Economic Monitor indicates that the country’s mining sector could generate about $30 billion (about K53 trillion) in export earnings between 2026 and 2040, with annual exports reaching $3 billion (about K5.2 trillion) by 2034 and remaining broadly stable over the life of the mines.
Last year, mining contributed about one percent to the gross domestic product, according to the 2026 Malawi Government Annual Economic Report.
