CI-NEWS

Mining activities: PM orders for legal instruments to ensure proper regulation.

2019-07-30

No: 438

Mining activities: PM orders for legal instruments to ensure proper regulation.

Below is the press release following the cabinet meeting of July 25, 2019 chaired by Prime Minister, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute.

“The Prime Minister, Head of Government, His Excellency Joseph DION NGUTE, last Thursday 25 July 2019 at 10 a. m., chaired this month’s Cabinet Meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office.

The meeting was attended by Ministers of State, Ministers, Ministers Delegate and Secretaries of State.

Three themes featured on the agenda:

A Statement by the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure on “Digitisation of the Land Registry and the Securing of National Public Land and Land Document for the Development of Economic Activities;”
A Statement by the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development on “The Achievements and Prospects of the Capacity-Building Project in the mining Sector”(PRECASEM).
A Report by the Minister of Public Works on “The Establishment of an Asphalt Production Unit in Cameroon”.

Following the introductory statement of the Head of Government, the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure presented his statement on the digitization of the land registry, and securing national public land and land documents. The process of digitizing the land registry involves fundamental and over-arching measures involving the rehabilitation of public spaces and securing of real property rights for economic stakeholders, as provided for by Law No. 76/25 of 14 December 1976 to organize the land registry. The Law provides for the digitization of the land registry through the progressive transfer of data on property and real estate from analogue media or paper formats to digital media. Thus, with the help of several partners, Government launched the Support Project for the Modernisation of the Land Registry and Improvement of the Business Climate (PAMOCCA) in 2010, involving three main pillars: the creation of a national geodesic network, digital large-scale mapping and the implementation of digital cadastral layout plans in councils. Results obtained include the establishment of 2974 geodesic points expressed in coordinates, and the digitization of 198 510 technical land registers files. The digitization process is underway for 130 000 land titles and 480 000 plots of national and State land in four pilot cities:

Douala, Yaounde, Garoua and Maroua.

With regards to securing national public land, the Minister emphasized the urgency of this measure due to the uncontrolled and fraudulent occupation of natural and man-made appurtenances of State-owned land, the misappropriation of real estate belonging to the State and construction in inappropriate areas. The ongoing strategy is based on a dual approach: (i) an audit of appurtenances of State-owned land, whose pilot phase was conducted in 7 divisions in the Centre, Littoral, South and South-West regions; (ii) the reinforcement of the legislative and regulatory framework through two decrees, one to lay down the minimum amount of annual royalties for the occupation of appurtenances of State-owned land, and the other to lay down the registration conditions and the guarantees and securities applicable to concessions and leases of State lands. Furthermore, a comprehensive instrument is being drawn up on the terms and conditions for the management of State-owned land.

Regarding the security of land documents, the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure stated that measures undertaken at the institutional and technical levels led to the opening of 6 special conservatories in 2012 in addition to existing conservatories in the capitals of 58 regions, as well as the manual and digital transcription of 250 land registers and volumes.

To this can be added the upgrade of the technological facilities in ministries concerned with land-related matters and the strengthening of the security of land documents.

As early as 2020, there are plans to launch a computerization programme for land conservation.

Speaking after him, the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development presented the achievement and prospects of the Mining Sector Capacity Building Project (PRECASEM). He said that this project, initiated in 2010 with the support of the World Bank, aims to improve access to mineral resources and the governance of mining operations, as well as the integration of mining into regional local development. Referring to the achievements of PRECASEM, the Minister of Mines reported that activities to update data on the Cameroonian subsoil were launched in 2014 in order to relaunch geological and mining exploration. An airborne geophysical survey campaign was conducted in the Northwest, West, North, Far North, Centre, Far North, Adamawa and East Regions, as well as a 165,000 km2 geological and geochemical mapping operation.

The main results of the field work include the production of 14 geological and geochemical maps that are essential for mining research; the collection of geophysical data with the acquisition of more than 60 new geochronological ages to clarify rock boundaries and names; and the identification of a significant number of gold and other mineral occurrences. In addition, PRECASEM has led to the establishment of a Geological and Mining information System; the creation of a modern computerized mining survey enabling economic operators to check online the availability of free spaces in the mining sector; and the improvement of the performance of actors in the sector, which earned PRECASEM the distinction in 2018 and 2019 of the Best Performing Project in World Bank Portfolio prize.

Regarding prospects, the Minister of Mines pointed out that under a new funding agreement that came into effect in December 2018, additional geophysical work is being considered, as well as an additional geological and geochemical mapping campaign. In addition, emphasis will be laid on artisanal mining, the dissemination of geological mineral information and the intensification of knowledge transfer to nationals.

Finally, the Meeting followed the report of the Minister of Public Works on the discussions on the creation of an asphalt production unit in Cameroon. It appears that such a unit could be set up at the behest of the public authorities or on the initiative of private partners. As several investors have expressed an interest in conducting this project, the option of a call for expressions of interest could be preferred.

At the end of the discussions that followed these statements, the Prime Minister instructed the Minister of State Property, Surveys and Land Tenure to accelerate the implementation of the ongoing programme to digitize the land registry and secure land documents. The Head of Government instructed the Minister of Mines to ‘refine the analysis of the primary indicators collected, in order to highlight the real mineral resource potential of the areas already explored.’ He was equally asked to finalize the legal instruments to provide a coherent and comprehensive regulatory framework for the proper regulation of mining activities. Finally, the Prime Minister asked the Minister of Public Works to publish a call for expressions of interest with a view to inviting private investors interested in setting up an asphalt production unit in Cameroon to compete.

The Meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m”

Yaounde, the 25 July 2019

(s) Seraphin Magloire FOUDA

Secretary General, Prime

Minister’s Office

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Mining activities: PM orders for legal instruments to ensure proper regulation.