After the closure of nearly 200 mining companies last week, the Cameroonian government is intensifying its crackdown on illegal mining. Between sanctions, environmental requirements, and new tax obligations, the authorities intend to regain control of a sector long marked by chaos and abuses.
Cameroon is accelerating the cleanup of its mining sector. A few days after the closure of nearly 200 semi-mechanized artisanal mining companies by the Ministry of Mines, the government unveiled a new series of measures aimed at strictly regulating the sector’s activities.
In the authorities’ sights: illegal sites, non-compliant operations, and operators who do not respect environmental standards or tax obligations. Inspections have been strengthened in several mining basins and irregular activities immediately suspended.
To hope to resume their operations, the companies concerned must now meet conditions deemed non-negotiable. Among them, the payment of an environmental bond of 63 million FCFA, compliance with the maximum authorized depths of 10 meters for classic artisanal mining and 30 meters for semi-mechanized mining, as well as the payment of mining and parafiscal taxes required by the State.
The government also imposes a minimum production of five kilograms of gold per month and requires, within six months, migration to modern closed-system ore processing methods to limit environmental damage.
According to the authorities, more than twenty companies have already started their regularization process. Through this reform, Yaoundé aims to sustainably clean up the sector, strengthen public revenues, and impose more responsible mining practices.
Read more Cameroon: the government sanctions Yango and partners for promoting illegal transportation
