After a sixteen-year suspension, Madagascar has reached a historic milestone. The acceptance of mining permit applications officially resumed last Thursday at the Mining Business Center in Ivato . This relaunch, approved a few months ago by the Council of Ministers, aims to modernize, regulate, and clean up a sector long hampered by informality.

For the occasion, the Minister of Mines, Carl Andriamparany , went to the site to supervise the launch of operations.

A stricter and more transparent allocation

The Ministry of Mines has a clear objective: to put an end to waste and establish transparent resource management. To achieve this, new rules of the game will apply:

1. Priority rule: The principle of "first come, first served" is rigorously applied to ensure fairness.
2. Mandatory identification: All applicants must now present a national identity card to strictly control access to the sector.
3. Processing of volumes: The Mining Cadastre Bureau of Madagascar (BCMM), through its 12 national branches, is prioritizing historical cases. Approximately 3,000 pending applications are currently under review.

The mining sector as an economic engine

Rich in nickel, cobalt, and precious stones, Madagascar's subsoil is central to the economic diversification strategy of the Refoundation regime. For the numerous operators who came to Ivato, this reopening is a strong signal to attract foreign investment and stimulate national growth, while stabilizing the business environment.

Environmental vigilance and social dialogue

The economic recovery will not come at the expense of people and the environment. The ministry has imposed very strict eligibility criteria:

The essential condition: Candidate companies must absolutely respect environmental standards and integrate a corporate social responsibility (CSR) plan to hope to obtain the precious prize.

In response to the legitimate concerns of local communities, the authorities have also announced the upcoming opening of a dialogue. The objective is twofold: to guarantee a fair sharing of the economic benefits and to ensure that environmental concerns are fully taken into account.