The Ministry of Mines and Energy will in April officially launch its Online Licence Applications Portal.
This comes following Minister Tom Alweendo’s announcement last year that the Ministry will be migrating to a digital system and do away with paper applications.
Alweendo said the new system will make it easier for individuals to apply for licences wherever they are, and it will limit human interaction with the processes. The Ministry has also implemented a submission window period for licence applications, with four windows per year.
The move coincides with the implementation of the revised licence application timetable that was introduced earlier this year, aimed at enhancing the efficiency of assessing and reviewing applications.
“Effective 5 April 2024, when the application period opens, the Ministry will transition exclusively to online application submissions, discontinuing the acceptance of manual applications (hard copies),” the Ministry spokesperson Ten Hasheela said on Wednesday.
The transition, Hasheela said, marks a significant step towards modernisation and aligns with the Ministry’s commitment to embracing digital transformation.
“Members of the public interested in applying for Mineral Rights through the Department of Mines, Diamond licences via the Department of Diamond Affairs, and Petroleum Upstream licences administered by the Directorate of Petroleum Affairs, are therefore encouraged to register for usage of the online application submission,” she said.
Registration on the portal commences on Friday, 15 March 2024.
