The Gabonese government, represented by the Ministers of Mines and Economy, and Alpha Centauri Mining SA, a company with majority Emirati and London capital, signed seven (7) small-scale gold mining agreements this Tuesday, February 22nd, at the Arambo building (headquarters of the Gabonese Ministry of Economy). The aim for both parties is to align the contracts with the mining law revised in 2019.
“These agreements allow for a review of taxes and royalties with a view to increasing the share that the mining sector must contribute to the state budget,” stated the Minister of Economy and Recovery, Nicole Janine Lydie Roboty-Mbou, before adding that this sector as a whole “still has considerable potential to increase its contribution to the gross domestic product.”
For his part, Alpha Centauri Mining SA’s Managing Director, Anand Bajla, announced the construction of a gold refining plant in the Nkok economic zone in 2022. This gold refinery, the first in Central Africa, is expected to be operational before the end of the year. “This also fulfills another requirement of the President of the Republic, who wants our raw materials to be processed locally before export. This gives them added value and constitutes a source of employment for our compatriots,” said the Minister of Mines, welcoming the initiative.
Holder of seven (7) valid small-scale gold mining licenses, and two (2) gold exploration licenses, located in the provinces of Moyen-Ogooué and Ogooué-Ivindo, the company Alpha Centauri, which started with a production of 28.21 kg of gold in 2017, produced approximately 700 kg of gold in 2021. It employs 160 people, 92% of whom are nationals.