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The Mineral Output Statistical Evaluation System (MOSES) should be linked to export payments for all minerals in Zambia to ensure that all production and sales cycle is captured in the system.
This has been recommended by the Zambia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (ZEITI) in its 2021 report released this month.
MOSES is a mineral tracking system designed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the Zambian Revenue Authority (ZRA).
According to ZEITI, not all mining companies were registered on MOSES system thereby leading to non-capture of production information by the companies not on it.
“The information declared in the MOSES system is not audited data. There is no requirement set to audit the data input in the system.
“The system only does not report all metals in the extractive industries. This may lead to under reporting of production results by non-reportable metals,” ZEITI stated.
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ZEITI observed that though the system had self-checking mechanism for some anomaly reporting, it noticed in a number of gaps in the production reports declared.
It, therefore, suggested that the MOSES system should be linked to export payments to ensure that all production and sales cycle is captured in the system.
“Mineral exports payments are done outside the system. Though issuing of export licence is linked to MOSES system, the further export of commodity is not documented in the MOSES system,” it stated.
In its recommendations, ZEITI pointed out the need for the MOSES system to be regularly reviewed to address the above stated weaknesses identified.
“Any company not registered on the MOSES system should be notified and given a timeline for registration. Any new issuance of mining licence should be automatically linked to registration on the MOSES system,” it suggested.
According to the report, the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development (MMMD) should have a technical unit that can be conducting the data audit for all companies making declarations on the MOSES system.
“To ensure compliance and correct reporting, any significant issues identified in the audit should be followed up by the MMMD and issuance of the licence renewal should be linked to maintaining a clean data audit,” it indicated.
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