Activities of the Framework for Support and Promotion of Small-Scale Mining (CAPAM), an executing agency of the mining sector in the country, are expected to receive a boost in no distant future from Korea. This follows plans by the government of Korea to fund and build a national mineral resource research laboratory in Cameroon, a structure that CAPAM has been yearning for.
A five-man Korean delegation, on an inspection visit in the country, on Thursday December 16, 2010 held a working session with CAPAM officials at the institution’s head office at Ngousso, Yaounde. The session served as an opportunity for the experts to get abreast with what the country is doing in terms of mineral exploration and mining and the challenges to boost the sector. In an elaborate presentation of the institution, CAPAM’s National Coordinator, Paul Gweth Ntep, traced the path covered by the institution since takeoff in 2003. He said the institution has been able to carry on to completion the first phase of its programme of activities (from 2005 – 2009) and has engaged the 2010-2015 second phase to cover the national territory.
Mr Gweth Ntep said their programme consists in supporting mining production, processing of mineral products, improving geological and mining information, among others. The latter being the most difficult of their missions thus far, given that a laboratory is needed to do all that. “Earlier, we had planned to come up with a geological and mining laboratory and a database unit and the coming of the Koreans with plans to build a national mineral resource research laboratory is a welcome relief to us”, CAPAM’s National Coordinator said. “Our laboratory in the ministry is not functioning and we badly need to improve mining and geological information in the country. And to do this, you need to collect samples on the field and analyse them abroad, an endeavour that has thus far proved expensive; money and time-wise,” he added. He rejoiced that with the announced laboratory, CAPAM will be able to accompany the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Technological Development in exploring the rest of the 60 per cent national territory whose mineral potentials is yet to be uncovered.
In reaction, the leader of the Korean delegation, Choi Jong Ho, saluted CAPAM’s moves. “We have seen that CAPAM has great potentials to develop further in the future and we would also love to have proper cooperation in the future also,” he said.
