GAF AG awarded three new contracts for mining governance consultancy services – in Cameroon, Laos and Afghanistan

cadAdmin — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 08:46:28 +0000

GAF AG is pleased to announce the award of three new technical assistance contracts for projects supporting mining ministries in Africa and Asia. Project activities in Afghanistan and Laos have already started, and those in Cameroon will soon follow. These projects underline the extensive and comprehensive range of services, capabilities and experience that GAF provides to institutional clients in the mineral domain around the globe – which the company has been doing with great success for many years. The company’s portfolio of services includes the implementation of mining cadastres and geological information systems and the provision of support to mines inspectorates, as well as geological mapping, capacity building and know-how transfer.

The three new contracts deal specifically with:

the provision of assistance to the Ministry of Mines and Industry of the Republic of Cameroon for the implementation of a new digital mining cadastre,
the drafting of Mines Regulations and provision of assistance regarding mines inspections for the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines,
the continued provision of consulting and capacity building services to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum in Afghanistan, with a particular focus on mining regulations and contract compliance monitoring.

Funding for each project is provided by the World Bank as part of country-specific mineral resources programmes. Individual project volumes range from 0.25 - 1.0 million Euros and project durations range from 6 to 24 months.

GAF receives consistently high client satisfaction feedback - most tangibly in the form of follow-on contracts. Key aspects of this success include the company’s comprehensive service and consulting portfolio in mineral governance together with its technical and thematic skills and experience. GAF combines know-how in fields such as mining, geology and the environment with geo-information technologies, and is a solution-oriented company. The Mining/Geology Department consists of 25 geologists, geophysicists, mining engineers and surveyors and is complemented by GAF’s multidisciplinary teams, including the GAF IT Department with its more than 40 software developers and programmers.

Establishment of cadaster, inspectorate, audit and licensing functions in the Ministry of Mines

cadAdmin — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:39:57 +0000

Ministry of Mines and Petroleum

Afghanistan

2008

The objective of this Project has been to strengthen the institutional capacity within the Ministry of Mines (MoM) to administer, promote and regulate the mining sector in Afghanistan. The three main principal objectives of this project were:

The setting-up and operation of a new mining cadastral organisation and implementation of a new computerised cadastre and tenement system
The setting-up of a Mines Inspectorate and Audit capacity and
Support to the artisanal and small scale mining (ASM) department within MoM

The following services were provided within the framework of the project:

Part 1: Cadastre Department

Elaboration of the cadastre procedures and complete organization of the cadastre department, implementation of methodology and cadastral procedures in agreement with laws and regulations.
Establishing the computerized mining cadaster system and providing support for its operation, design and implementation of a specific website for the cadaster.

Part 2: Mines Inspectorate and Audit Capacity

Development of assessment strategies for execution of monitoring and audits of extraction industry
Training in the technical and economic evaluation of pre-feasibility and bankable feasibility studies
Conduct audits of exploration and mineral production sites
Assistance to the Ministry in preparing cases for remedial action/prosecution under the Minerals Laws
Training staff to carry out project review and audit functions without external assistance
Preparation of inspection and audit guide manuals with appropriate industry benchmarks

Part 3: Artisanal and Small Scale Mining (ASM)

Preparing the MoM staff to formalise (or regularize) the ASM sector
Train trainers within MoM in the proper use and maintenance of relevant mining equipment; use of explosives; good health and safety practices; basic surveying; and appropriate mine management. mine equipment; and improved mining methods
Develop a training facility at Khayr Khana, including the building of ‘mock’ mine shafts, tunnels and extraction areas

The Khair Khana Training Centre is now well established and has the capacity to train groups of 30 inspection trainees at a time. A ‘mock mine’ facility has been established that will enhance the ‘hands-on’ training for future trainee. It is a unique opportunity to acquire both theoretical and, to some degree, practical work related training. The success of the Inspection/ASM Training project has increased the understanding and technical knowledge of the participants. Those who have successfully completed the training courses, represent the most qualified technical staff in the MoM.

The development of the computerized cadaster allows capturing all mineral tenures inluding both spatial and alphanumeric data. The system support the Department of Cadaster (DoC) through a variety of documents and forms in English and Dari language. The documentation of the licensing procedures in combination with the required standard forms was successfully completed to clear the way forward for establishing the key business processes within the DoC.

Middle East, Mining Cadaster, Inspectorate, Artisanal Mining, Mineral Sector

eMC+ - Middle East

GAF AG awarded three new contracts for mining governance consultancy services – in Cameroon, Laos and Afghanistan

Establishment of cadaster, inspectorate, audit and licensing functions in the Ministry of Mines