The restructuring of Cameroon’s semi-mechanized artisanal mining sector is gaining momentum

Approximately 95% of the companies inspected by Prof. FUH CALISTUS have agreed in principle to formalize a commitment to a minimum production threshold, calibrated against the number of processing units installed on their sites. A notable example is ZINARI SARL, a gold mining operator in the Kette subdivision. With about ten processing units in operation, the company has undertaken to declare a minimum monthly output of 5 kilograms of gold. The agreement was initialed today in Batouri in the presence of administrative authorities and key local stakeholders.

During a stakeholder consultation session with local elites and mining operators in Batouri, the Minister underscored that Cameroon is steadily transitioning toward large-scale industrial mining. He further stressed that the formalization and restructuring of the artisanal segment will continue until all 175 identified illegal mining sites are regularized and brought into full compliance.

With regard to the Kambele permit area, the site has been reassigned to the indigenous riparian communities, in line with the high instructions of the President of the Republic. In order to ensure optimal resource recovery for the benefit of local populations and in strict adherence to the Mining Code, these communities are encouraged to organize into legal entities and apply for semi-mechanized mining permits.

The Minister also instructed his teams to sustain the operation under the supervision of administrative authorities, alongside defense and security forces, to ensure effective enforcement and monitoring.

It should be recalled that compliance with the regulatory framework is contingent upon four key requirements:

Environmental compliance: payment of a CFAF 63 million site rehabilitation bond for a 21-hectare permit area, alongside certification of environmental conformity;

Fiscal compliance: payment of the applicable mining levies, including a 25% final presumptive tax , a 5% export tax, and a 1.5% contribution to the Mining Sector Development Fund;

Production commitment: adherence to a declared minimum production threshold, determined by the number of operational processing units verified by the competent authorities, with a baseline of 5 kilograms of gold per month;

Technological innovation: mandatory transition within six months to a closed-circuit gold processing system, aimed at improving recovery rates, minimizing environmental impact, and ensuring traceability. A system that has been consistently presented to them on each occasion.