Cameroon’s dream of becoming one of the first bauxite transformation sites in the Central African subregion will soon become reality following last Tuesday’s convention signed between The Ministry of Mines, Industries and Technological Development (MINMIDT) and the Cameroon Mining and Alumina Company, CAMALCO, in Yaounde.
It will involve the extraction of Alumina from the rich Bauxite deposit in the Tibati Council area in the Djerem Division and Martap Council in the Vina Division all in the Adamawa Region. The project dubbed MINIM MARTAP is aimed at fast tracking the transformation of Aluminum Ore Bauxite into Alumina. It will later be transformed to Aluminum and sold in the local market and around the sub Region for the production of Aluminum products.
Speaking to the press shortly after the signing ceremony, the Interim Minister of Mines, Prof Fuh Calistus, underscored that the project will go a long way to bring a positive impact to the local population in particular. “This project besides creating over a thousand jobs to the local population, has a lot of benefits to the Cameroonian economy. Firstly the normal taxes that companies pay into the state coffers, 10% of the state’s shares, 1% of investment funds, construction of infrastructures such as roads in the local communities and many others,” Prof Fuh Calistus recounted.
Minister Fuh Calistus also highlighted that the convention marks an important milestone in the transformation of Bauxite in Cameroon. He said: “This project is a very important project because it will be one of the first Bauxite transforming sites in the sub Region. So we look forward to working with CAMALCO to make this dream a reality.“
The Director General of CAMALCO, Rana Pratap, for his part, said the signing of the convention is a major booster to the start of the project and it builds confidence for effective work to begin. Pratap expressed optimism that “The convention serves as a major booster and milestone for this very important project. So we are now very confident after this signing with the government of Cameroon. So with this we are now sure to commence work of the project”.
Spin-offs
The transformation of Bauxite in the two localities of the Adamawa Region, officials said, would lead to the creation of a thousand jobs directly and several thousands of indirect jobs.
The company, both parties also said, would develop infrastructures such as roads to ease the transportation of the products from one end of the localities to another together with several other benefits.
Project
The MINIM MARTAP Project, it was also said, aims to optimize the Minim Martap Bauxite containing 51.6% Alumina and 2.4% Silica over a 20-year period. The processing of Bauxite into Alumina, transportation of these products, it was also said, would be done through the existing Ngaoundere – Yaounde – Douala Railway infrastructure.
The project will also see the construction of a mine and other related mining facilities to be used during the actual mining phase.
There will also be the rehabilitation of the Ngaoundere- Douala Railway, construction of an energy production unit, development of the route identified for transporting the Merchant production from the extraction site to the Makor rail loading station in the Martap Community and host of others.
Benefits to government
The government, it was disclosed on Tuesday, has a lot to benefit from the project. These include; taxes from the company into the state’s coffers, 10% shares for the state, production sharing at a rate of 5% of market value, Export tax at a rate of 3%, opening up of 10% of the project company’s shares to nationals and host of other benefits. The convention adds to several others the Government has engaged to transform the mining sector and boom the economy.
