Commissioner for Parliamentary Service Commission Muthama Johnston has urged the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs to reduce the proposed six per cent royalty on rough gemstones to not more than one per cent.

Speaking during the third day of the third edition of of Geo-East African Conference and Expo (GEOEACE 2024), Muthama said the Mining Act, 2016, which is going through public participation, should be amended to give miners friendlier terms and levies.

“The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs should reduce the proposed six per cent royalty on rough Gemstones to not more than one per cent,” the former Machakos Senator stated.

He also wants the government to eliminate the bureaucracy in the process of clearing the exports by limiting clearance to be done within 12 hours.

“The government abolishing discriminative tax policies and bureaucracies in terms of acquiring licenses can help the government revolutionize the mining industry by attracting a lot of investors with friendly policies,” he said.