Nakambe: The Secretary General of the Nakambe region, Sayouba Sawadogo, officially opened a regional workshop in Tenkodogo to promote the two new mining laws adopted on July 18, 2024. Organized by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries, the meeting aims to enable local stakeholders to better understand the major innovations contained in the Mining Code and the law on local content.
According to Burkina Information Agency, for three days, local authorities, technical services, operators, community organizations, and stakeholders in the mining sector will review the new legal provisions now governing mineral resource exploitation in Burkina Faso. The Regional Secretary General emphasized that the highest authorities have instructed that these laws and their implementing regulations be disseminated countrywide for better understanding and implementation by all stakeholders.
Adopted by the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT), Law No. 016-2024/ALT on the Mining Code and Law No. 017-2024/ALT on local content are significant steps in mining governance. They aim to enhance transparency, improve economic benefits for local communities, and establish better oversight of artisanal, semi-mechanized, and industrial mining activities.
The Director of Legal Affairs and Litigation (DAJC) at the Ministry, Gilbert Tousma Dodbzanga, noted that revising the 2015 Code was necessary due to observed shortcomings. The new law introduces innovations like the establishment of a national gold reserve, a requirement for mining companies to include national investors, elimination of tax exemptions during operations, and an increase in the State's stake from 10% to 15%.
The workshop includes eight thematic presentations focusing on innovations in the Mining Code, the content of the law on local content, its implementation strategy, and reforms to artisanal and semi-mechanized mining. It also covers the mining situation in the Nakambe region, procedures for granting mining titles, and distribution of surface taxes.
For the DAJC, the objective is to facilitate direct exchanges with regional stakeholders to promote full ownership of the laws. Mr. Dodbzanga reminded attendees that a law achieves its effects only when understood and applied by all.