The Interim Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Prof. Fuh Calistus Gentry, has addressed growing public concern over discrepancies in Cameroon’s gold production and export figures, following revelations contained in the 2023 report of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
In a radio and press communiqué released on December 29, Prof. Gentry acknowledged a significant gap between official national declarations and international trade statistics. According to the EITI 2023 report, Cameroon’s Directorate General of Customs declared exports of 22.3 kilograms of gold, while international data indicate that 15.2 tonnes of gold were exported to the United Arab Emirates under Cameroon’s name as the country of origin.
The Minister was quick to clarify institutional responsibilities within the mining sector. He recalled that the Ministry of Mines is responsible for defining and managing national mining policy, while the National Mining Corporation (SONAMINES) is charged with managing and controlling gold production.
SONAMINES also holds exclusive rights over the commercialization of gold produced in Cameroon.
Prof. Gentry explained that most of Cameroon’s gold production comes from artisanal and semi-mechanized mining, a reality shared with several African countries. These activities are often carried out without prior feasibility studies, making it difficult for the State to accurately forecast production volumes. As a result, SONAMINES collects the simplified mining tax in kind and exit duties on behalf of the State, largely based on declarations from operators that are “generally neither sincere nor complete.”
Compounding the problem, the Minister noted, SONAMINES currently lacks sufficient financial and technological capacity to buy back the operators’ share of gold production or to effectively monitor output in real time. He further pointed to the porosity of Cameroon’s land borders, which allows gold mined in neighbouring countries to be smuggled through Cameroonian territory and exported to the United Arab Emirates while being falsely declared as Cameroonian in origin.
To address these challenges, the Government has announced a series of corrective measures to be implemented starting in January. These include the closure of artisanal and semi-mechanized gold mining sites that do not operate closed-circuit mineralized gravel treatment systems, the strengthening of SONAMINES’ financial and technological resources to enable it to purchase and monitor national gold production, and the development of industrial mining, supported by feasibility studies capable of generating reliable production forecasts.
Despite the current challenges, Prof. Gentry highlighted notable progress made in recent years. Actions undertaken jointly by the Ministry and SONAMINES have reportedly increased Cameroon’s gold reserves from 37 kilograms to approximately 1,500 kilograms.
Reassuring the public, the Interim Minister called on mining operators to demonstrate civic responsibility and respect sector regulations. He emphasized that, under the high instructions of the Head of State, the Government is determined to transform the gold sector into “an exceptional source of financial resources,” capable of broadening the tax base and strengthening the State’s gold reserves.
With these reforms, authorities hope to restore transparency, improve traceability, and reposition gold as a strategic pillar of Cameroon’s economic development.
Comments
Post a Comment