Improve resource mobilization. This is the ambition set by the African Development Bank (
(AfDB) by announcing the release of a financing fund intended for the training of political leaders
regarding their decisions in the mining sector.
In January, the African Development Bank allocated a grant of 1.2 million euros to
provide training to help resource-rich countries improve their mining revenues. Eight countries
African countries including Madagascar will benefit from this funding.
“Transition countries in Africa need to strengthen the capacity of the state to mobilize revenues from
investments in natural resources, to tackle reconstruction, infrastructure and
socio-economic priorities. The project will provide countries in transition with the skills and knowledge
needed to improve domestic resource mobilization for accelerated growth and
sustainable development," said Vanessa Ushie, director of the policy analysis division at the Center
natural resources in an official AfDB announcement.
In the case of the Big Island, the priorities have yet to be defined. "It's an open line of credit that we have
assigned the financial institution. However, it is the ministry in charge of this sector which will indicate the axes of
priority training in order to optimize the results of this funding. Priorities which will become clearer by
next month and which will be framed by the annual work plan of the ministry which was presented this week "
indicates Imbiky Herilaza Secretary General at the Ministry of Mines and Strategic Resources.
The sector has been experiencing some turmoil lately. In particular with the withdrawal of investors
operations on the "Kraoma" operation or even the suspension of the "Base Toliara" project, which have greatly tarnished
the image of the Big Island in terms of attractive potential for major mining investments. However, these
two major events as well as the next holding of this training financed by the AfDB will have a
less impact on Mining Sector Assessment Reports under the Transparency in the Mining Initiative
extractive sector (EITI). “Today, the Big Island is on the way to becoming a “compliant country” with the initiative if it
remains “candidate country” until then
The first validation in June 2018 revealed significant progress. We currently have country status
candidate and aspire to become a compliant country after the last assessment. What is certain is that Madagascar
will no longer be classified as a country delisted or a country suspended from the EITI", emphasizes Marcelle Dané, Executive Secretary
of the EITI. Words that reassure despite the current context. In any case, the country got points
after the publication of the reconciliation reports of 2017 and 2018. For the moment, the institution that evaluates the
Big Island in the mining sector bases itself on these reports without taking into account recent events.