The Congolese government recently published a partnership agreement with mining companies Primera Gold and Primera Metals. This announcement was welcomed by Congo N’Est Pas à Vendre (CNPAV), a civil society coalition, which is calling for the list of the actual beneficiaries of these companies to be made public. Indeed, the CNPAV is concerned about the commercial and tax advantages granted to Primera Gold and Primera Metals, in particular a 25-year export monopoly, very generous tax breaks and a lack of transparency on the beneficial ownership of these companies.
Primera Gold has been at the center of attention since the government granted it exclusive rights to export all artisanally mined gold, coltan and tin ores produced in the eastern provinces. Eastern Congo. Although this measure is supposed to put an end to the mining fraud that has characterized the artisanal exploitation of these minerals, the CNPAV fears that Primera Gold will take advantage of these advantages to the detriment of the Congolese State.
The partnership contract published by the government grants Primera Gold and Primera Metals a 25-year export monopoly, as well as very generous tax breaks. The CNPAV is asking for the publication of the list of the real beneficiaries of these companies, as well as the abolition of this monopoly and clarification of these enormous tax breaks.
Although these measures are supposed to fight against mining fraud and generate substantial revenues for the Congolese state and the provinces concerned, their implementation raises many questions and concerns. The CNPAV therefore calls on the Congolese government to continue its commitment to transparency and good governance in the Congolese mining sector.