Minister of Mines, Fuh Calistus
By Prince Joel Mokake
The Minister of Mines, Industries and Technological Development has decried the alarming discrepancy in the figures of the exportation of Gold in Cameroon and has announced stringent measures to salvage the sector from the hands of fraudsters.
In a press release issued Monday, December 29, 2025, Prof. Fuh Calistus Gentry, expressed deep concern over a massive gap in Cameroon’s gold export data.
Information from the 2023 Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) report reveals that while Cameroon’s Customs department reported export declaration of only 22.3 kg of gold, international statistics show that 15.2 tonnes of gold declared as originating from Cameroon were exported to the United Arab Emirates. The Minister explained that these conflicting figures are largely due to smugglers using porous land borders to move gold out of the country, often involving operators from neighbouring nations who use Cameroon as a transit point. Additionally, because most gold in Cameroon comes from small-scale artisanal and semi-mechanized mines that lack proper feasibility studies, it is very difficult for the State to accurately predict or track actual production levels.
Prof. Fuh clarified that while his Ministry sets mining policy, the National Mining Company, SONAMINES, is responsible for controlling production and has the exclusive right to sell gold on behalf of the State. However, SONAMINES currently lacks the money and technology needed to buy all the gold produced by private miners or to monitor their work effectively.
To fix these problems and stop illegal exports, the government will take strict action starting in January by shutting down semi-mechanized mining sites that do not use modern gravel processing systems.
The government also plans to provide SONAMINES with better financial and technological tools to buy local gold and will install remote monitoring systems to track production more accurately.
Prof. Fuh Calistus also echoed that the government will put in place remote monitoring technologies to ensure accurate production prediction, collaboration between his Ministry of Mines and SONAMINES
Despite the current challenges, the Minister noted that the government has already successfully increased national gold reserves from 37 kg to about 1,500 kg in recent years. Prof. Prof. Fuh Calistus is calling on all miners to act responsibly so the industry can become a major source of tax revenue and help grow the nation’s wealth.
The Minister has called on all operators in the mining sector to collaborate with the government in order to boost the mining domain while reassuring the public that the government is bent on transforming the mining sector into an exceptional source of revenue through taxes and to strengthen the country’s gold reserve and financial revenue so as broaden the tax base which is in line with the Head of State, H.E. President Paul Biya’s vision.
Many observers have saluted the Interim MINMIDT’s objective, transparent and open nature in handling the mining industry in the country.