- About 2,500 employees unemployed
- Gold production down by 13.73%
- Because of the closure of mining sites due to insecurity
- But the Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries reassures the deputies of the Transitional Legislative Assembly
- Operational solutions to reinforce the security of the sites in view
- Reinforcement of all mines by the defence and security forces
- Reinforcement of the escort of supply convoys to mining sites
Following the oral question with debate of MP Youssouf Ouedraogo on the consequences of the closure or abandonment of mining and artisanal exploitation sites due to the general insecurity aggravated by terrorism, the Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Simon-Pierre Boussim, provided some answers on 14 March 2023.
Simon-Pierre Boussim spoke to the deputies of the Transitional Legislative Assembly (ALT) to declare on behalf of the Government.
He argued that gold production has fallen from 66.858 tonnes in 2021 to 57.675 tonnes in 2022, a drop of 13.73%. This has led to a decline in revenue for the state and local authorities. He insisted on the fact that the level of collection in 2021 and 2022 will drop by 6 billion FCFA for all the mining companies affected by the insecurity.
He said that the closure of industrial mining sites has put about 2,500 employees unemployed.
The Minister of Energy, Mines and Quarries was also keen to reassure the deputies of the Transitional Legislative Assembly that his department’s mission is to reassure industrialists and mining artisans, and to support them in securing their installations and supplies.
To remedy these shortcomings, draft texts on mining sector reforms, particularly those relating to the security of mining sites, are being adopted, the security of all mines is being reinforced by the defence and security forces, all mines are being equipped with surveillance equipment such as drones and infra-red cameras, and the escorting of supply convoys to mining sites is being reinforced. Several public structures support the resilient strategy of protecting mining sites, including the National Office for the Security of Mining Sites (ONASSIM) and the National Anti-Fraud Gold Brigade (BNAF), whose actions complement the overall dynamic of securing the national territory by the defence and security forces.
Rachid Ouedraogo
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