Illegal Mining: Gov’t Adopts Stringent Combat Measures

As part of efforts to protect mining sites and curb illegal exportation of minerals, government has adopted some measures which seek to generate more revenue for the State. This was during a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Head of Government, Joseph Dion Ngute yesterday May 21, 2026. Three presentations were done at the meeting, specifically on institutional mechanisms for protecting the rights of workers exposed to abuse by employers, measures to counter fraud and regulate artisanal mining in Cameroon and the environmental impact of the system to restore and rehabilitate mining sites. These aspects, the Prime Minister said, are happening at a time when there have heated debates on the social media, and indeed, need to be addressed for the wellbeing of the nation. To this effect, an imposed minimum threshold of declaration where each company must declare five kilograms of gold per month prior to being accorded the rights to exploitation, and an obligatory payment of environmental hazard tax of FCFA 63 million for every enterprise for 21 hectares, amongst other recommendations. In the presentation of the interim Ministry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Prof. Fuh Calistus Gentry, the cacophony in the sector is provoked by illegality. “We want to render everything legal. Illegality equals discrepancies between what is declared in Cameroon and elsewhere. When restructuring is accepted which will lead to legality, then we will have immediate revenue for the State in billions. And also, the State’s gold reserve will be increased by three tons per year,” he stated. The interim Minister added that they also target enabling the sector to be handled by Cameroonians where they will have the majority in artisanal mining and foreign companies will be financial and technical partners. To Fuh Calistus, the sector will be fully in the hands of Cameroonians and the State will have a lot in terms of benefits and creating decent jobs. A...