(Business in Cameroon) - The Cameroonian administration, through the Support Framework for Artisanal Mining (Capam), will collaborate with the Business Facilities Corporation (BFC) for better accountability of the resources produced in quarries and improve government revenues in the said sector. An agreement was signed in that regard a few days ago, we learn from stakeholders in the process.

"We are happy to be once again at the heart of an activity that has promising potential and can generate additional income for Cameroon, as well as stable direct employment for Cameroonians. Through these contracts signed and the concrete actions undertaken already, we are further concretizing our mission to be a key player in the economic transformation of Cameroon's development potential," said Lucien Ndzomo Mviena, Managing Director of BFC, in reply to Business in Cameroon’s questions.

In the framework of the partnership, BFC is expected to set up weighbridges at the quarries’ exits to properly estimate the volumes of resources taken out by the various operators. BFC is already implementing a similar project with the Port Authority of Douala (PAD) at the port of the economic capital.  

According to officials in charge of collecting public revenues dedicated to this sector, the difference between the sums collected and the potential is "significant". One of the difficulties mentioned has always been that of having an exact overview of what is produced and exploited in the quarries. According to Capam, the solutions proposed so far have mostly faced challenges. The construction of about sixty weighbridges at the quarry exit should therefore be the first line of response to these challenges.  

The other aspect of cooperation is the organization of cooperatives that are active around the quarries in Cameroon, like société simplifiée coopérative des tenanciers and artisans miniers de carrières artisanales de sables de la région du Centre namely. "We are already working to transform this sector capable of stabilizing and making viable over 100,000 direct jobs and creating more than 2,000 new direct jobs. There will also be indirect jobs and new benefits for the country. The project will also prompt new local investments,”  said Lucien Ndzomo Mviena.

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