Extractive industries: Gov't engages EITI to ensure transparency.

The visiting delegation was led by Nassim Bennani, EITI Regional Director for Francophone Africa, the Middle-East and North Africa, and assisted by Ahmed Zouari, Advisor for Francophone Africa and the Middle-East and North Africa. 

The audience took place in Yaounde Tuesday. 

Speaking during the event, the member of government re-echoed Cameroon’s commitment to ensure complete transparency in the extractive sector for the interest of citizens.

He further explained that several efforts made already in this light, are already bearing fruits with world mining giants now taking concrete steps to assess investment options in Cameroon 

“We had a very wonderful technical session, which allows us to explain to the international secretary [of EITI], the efforts that Cameroon has put in place to make sure that we take our rightful place as a champion for transparency,” the minister said. 

He insisted that at a time when the State of Cameroon is transitioning the country to a mining nation, it is in the interest of the country to ensure transparency.

“Big companies like Rio Tinto, who were here last week, respond to criteria of stability, criteria of potential, legislation and geological data. The fact that they are coming to this country shows that we are responding to the norms, and it can only be in our interest to respond to the most important norm, that of EITI, which is to work in all transparency,” he assured. 

Going by the minister, activities of the mining sector are being done in strict respect of transparency procedure from issuance of mining permit, mining conventions and others. 

“Anything you see or any mining convention that we sign is published with all the reasons we did that,” he stated, before pointing out that mining conventions are negotiated by with the concerned companies, civil society, sectoral ministries ministry, the elite of the concerned area, with his ministry assuming the lead role. 

“We just want to thank the international secretary for this, which we will consider as a blessing at the same time when we are trying to restructure our artisanal sector… to make sure that it is done with traceability and with the best environmental practices,” the minister added. 

Enter EITI head of delegation

On his part, the EITI delegation head, Nassim Bennani, said the discussion with the minister and other stakeholders present at the meeting was very fruitful as they delved on different issues. 

He further appreciated government’s firm resolve to ensuring full transparency in the mining and extractive industries in general.

“What I retain is the engagement by the Cameroonian government to work towards transparency, especially in mining conventions and I think that it is a good footing to continue on,” Bennani told the press. 

He, however, stressed that should government match efforts to the commitments of improving the EITI norms, it will ensure more benefits for the citizens. 

“The first recommendation is that the initiatives of EITI in Cameroon should be aligned to the national priorities of Cameroon in the extractive sector. 

“It is important that transparency should be at the service of national priorities of the country like attracting new investors in the country,” Nassim Bennani said. 

He further explained that: “EITI is there to support through transparency notably in the criteria for awarding mining licences, conventions, creating an environment of trust, [and] dialogue between government, companies and the civil society which will enable Cameroon to pull more investors”.