Albert Yuma proposes four levers to be activated to innovate more sustainable investments after mining

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is considered a geological scandal but the minerals are exhaustible.

For the National President of the Federation of Companies of Congo (DRC), Albert Yuma, “we must already think about the post-mining period”.

Albert Yuma said so on Wednesday, October 18, 2022, at the opening of the Forum initiated by the FEC Chamber of Mines.

Albert Yuma is of the opinion that the revised 2018 Mining Code has introduced notions of social responsibility which require that local development plans be drawn up in favor of the populations affected by mining, or even the constitution of a Fund for future generations whose management must allow the population to survive after the mines have run out. There is also the sharing of excess profit which must be done under certain conditions between the State and the investors, the raising of the mining royalty with, in certain cases, a special royalty for so-called “strategic” products.

“So beyond these innovations, there is room for innovation in post-mining investments that are more sustainable and drive inclusive growth that benefits everyone through the creation of local content. “, he underlined.

According to Albert Yuma, four levers should be activated in particular:

1° The first lever is that of optimizing operations to restore margins. This necessarily requires better management efforts by companies, which must adopt integrated management models as much as possible to reduce all the indirect costs that weigh heavily on the profitability of activities, says Albert Yuma.

2° The second lever relies on the development of innovation to lower exploration costs, which weigh heavily on company results.

The National Chairman of the FEC estimates that this will improve mineral recovery rates and not waste thousands of tons each year.

“The development of waste treatment technologies is a good illustration of the economic opportunity represented today by these dormant minerals to which we do not pay enough attention”, explained Albert Yuma.

3° The third lever involves the strong involvement of companies in their social environment.

“It is also a great cause for satisfaction for me to see how dynamic the action of our companies is via a certain number of initiatives which all have in common to bring the actors closer together”, he indicated. .

4° The fourth involves improving the business climate to which the Chamber of Mines in particular and the FEC in general are sensitive.

Albert Yuma points out that “certain provisions of the current Mining Code are mischievously modified by Finance Laws or even those which are simply not applicable, as is the case in artisanal mining. »