Burkina: Mining players are thinking about better mining in Africa Ouagadougou, September 28, 2023 (AIB) - The 5th edition of the West African Mining Activities Week (SAMAO) 2023 opened its doors on Thursday, with reflections focused on better mining, in view to better impact local economies. According to the Minister in charge of Mines, Simon Pierre Boussim, who read President Ibrahim Traoré's speech, the real impact of mining on the living conditions of populations is not always clearly perceptible, in countries like Mali, Niger, Ivory Coast and Guinea. Mr. Boussim explained that the 72 hours of reflection on the mining sector consist of questioning, among others, politicians, stakeholders, local authorities on the paths and strategies for developing local economies. The representative of the President of the Transition spoke Thursday in Ouagadougou, at the opening of the work of the 5th edition of SAMAO 2023 under the theme 'Mining in Africa: What strategy to impact local economies? ". « La tenue d e cette cinquième édition de la SAMAO est la preuve de la résilience du peuple burkinabè qui, face à la situation sécuritaire, n'a jamais plié l'échine », a-t-il soutenu. Simon Pierre Boussim a précisé que le secteur minier est porté par l'or qui demeure le premier produit d'exploitation du pays, car selon lui, à la date du 31 décembre 2022, la production industrielle est estimée à 57,68 tonnes contre 67, 1 tonnes en 2021. Le secteur minier a créé 19 000 emplois directs à la même date, a-t-il dit, tout en précisant que les recettes directes sont passées de 430 milliards en 2021 à 540 milliards en 2022, soit une augmentation des près de 20,40%. Le ministre en charge des Mines a noté que la production des carrières a atteint 1,458 millions de m3 pour près de 1,4 milliards de FCFA, en termes de recettes directes au budget de l'Etat. Mr. Boussim reported that the country occupies 4th place as a gold producing country in 2022, after Ghana, Mali and South Africa. 'SAMAO is a privileged framework for promoting and sharing experiences and good practices in terms of mining, integration of this sector into the national economy, management and environmental protection,' he said. -he continued. He also invited participants from Chad, Niger, Mali, Ivory Coast and Congo to frank exchanges, with a view to revitalizing the mining sector to better impact local economies. At this 5th edition of SAMAO, various activities are on the program. These include, among other things, B to B meetings, communications on the central theme, stand exhibitions. The national president of the SAMAO 2023 organizing committee, Jean Baptiste Kaboré indicated that eminent experts in the mining field came to share their experiences at this 72-hour showcase in Ouagadougou. For Mr. Kaboré, SAMAO wants to improve the governance of the mining sector with innovative strategies for increased mobilization of local resources. According to him, insecurity does not favor mining in certain countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali, but that they remain res ilient despite adversity. Interrupted in September 2019 with the advent of Covid-19 and the security crisis, SAMAO resumed its activities in 2023. Source: Burkina Information Agency