Small Scale Mining : Gov’t Protects Six Tons of Gold

Godlove BAINKONG|14/07/2010|Cameroun Tribune|

The programme is to ensure that gold deposits in Bétare-Oya do not disappear with the execution of the Lom Pangar hydroelectric dam project.

Efforts are ongoing in the country to rescue over six tons of gold in Bétaré-Oya, Lom and Djerem Division of the East Region, which would otherwise disappear after the construction of the Lom Pangar Hydro Electric Dam due to commence later this year, the project’s environmental impact studies shows. Activities of a mining company, CAMINCO S.A., charged with realising the dream officially began on Monday July 12, 2010 at the Mali gold mining site in Bétare-Oya by the Minister of Industries, Mines and Technological Development, Badel Ndanga Ndinga.

The event was the concretisation of a contract between officials of CAMINCO S.A. and stakeholders of the mining sector in the country on January 18, 2010 with the view of having an additional production of 50 kg of gold per month. Cameroon currently produces about 100 kg of gold per month but this figure represents just a minimal fraction of what is actually produced as a significant proportion is reportedly lost in clandestine activities. According to officials of the Small Scale Mining Support and Promotion Unit (CAPAM), the 50 kg projected monthly production, estimated at FCFA 767, 504, 983, will be bought entirely by CAPAM. All these, according to CAPAM National Coordinator, Ntep Gweth Paul, will be sent to BEAC to reinforce Cameroon’s gold reserves there. The terms of the government-CAMINCO S.A. contract stipulate that 36 per cent of the production will cover the cost of production, 21.5 per cent will go to the State for taxes, 31.5 per cent to compensate CAMINCO’s investment while 11 per cent will go to the local population.

Speaking during the launching ceremony, Badel Ndanga Ndinga said minerals constitute a lever to economic growth and government could not afford to lose the precious metal. The activities, he said, are part of efforts to mechanise small scale mining in the country and to eventually make it industrial. This is part of a nationwide programme, code-named “Support to the Development of Mining activities to run from 2010 – 2015 in all the 371 Sub Divisions of the country. “This valorisation is a milestone towards achieving the development plan contained in the country’s Growth and Employment Strategic Paper geared towards catapulting Cameroon to an emerging economy by 2035”, the Minister said. To the officials of CAMINCO S.A., the local population will be given priority in the recruitment with 67 per cent of their work force to come from the local area. New machines, they said, are expected from South Africa in the days ahead to boost mining. Monday’s ceremony was also an opportunity for other mining companies in the region, like C&K Mining, SACAM Mining, LOKAMAT Agri et TP, Imperial Mining and Refining Ltd to draw a balance sheet of their activities and present the way forward.

UPDATE 1-Geovic says may start Cameroon cobalt mine in 2010 (reuters.com)
World Cup’s Soccer City Shows Scale of Mining Waste in South Africa (treehugger.com)
WA’s junior gold miners plan to soar (news.theage.com.au)

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