After two days of fruitful discussions during the DRC-Africa 2023 Forum, participants formulated 18 recommendations aimed at improving mining and industrial governance in Africa, and more specifically in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Organized under the theme “Creating wealth in the battery metals industry value chain in the DRC and Africa”, this event brought together economic actors from the mining sector and policy makers from the DRC, Zambia and ambassadors from different countries.
Among the recommendations made, the first is the establishment of a general law on industries, called the Industry Code or Industrial Code, in accordance with the DRC Mining Code. The objective is to ensure better regulation of this key sector of the Congolese economy.
Another important recommendation aims to make the DRC a preferred destination for investments in electric batteries by 2040. This will require the search for adequate skills and technologies to sustain wealth creation in the metals and minerals value chain. batteries in Africa.
The participants also suggested establishing mutualization models inspired by Chinese and American experiences, in order to strengthen cooperation between African states, in particular between the DRC and Zambia. This cooperation would make it possible to optimize investments in the mining sector and the processing industry, thus contributing to the economic renaissance of these countries.
Other recommendations concern the research and certification of mineral deposits, increasing the supply of battery metals on the African continent, encouraging dialogues between mining companies and technology companies in the mining value chain, and improving the governance of the mining sector by strengthening the capacities of state actors.
Finally, the participants highlighted the importance of local processing of metals from electric batteries by developing appropriate regulations and statutes, as well as the need to create special economic zones to promote the development of economic activities and fight against illegal practices. .
These recommendations reflect the desire of players in the sector to promote effective mining and industrial governance in Africa, with a view to creating real economic dynamics based on the continent’s natural resources. It now remains to implement these recommendations in a concrete and collaborative manner to ensure sustainable and equitable development in the region.