Resource World Magazine

Morocco enacts new legislation to encourage resource extraction The KingdoM of Morocco is a peaceful and politically stable country of multi-ethnic groups with a rich culture, a growing economy, and bright future. Morocco has a population of more than 32 million people in an area just larger than Alberta. It is Africa's most Europeanized country. The country has always been known for its Islamic liberalism and openness toward the western world. The capital is Rabat, the largest city is Casablanca. The resource sector here constitutes an essential component of the national economy thanks to the existence of a favorable geological context which permits the development of mining activity in many regions of the Kingdom. Now Morocco is becoming an attractive location for the global resource industry. Morocco's unique geology offers great mining op- portunities, and the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment has just adopted a national mining strategy that will greatly improve the participation of the private sector within the mining development process while consolidating the role of the state in the basic infrastructure, regulation and promotion. Resource extraction contributes 10% to the Gross Domestic Product of Morocco, representing almost 75% of the country's national exports by volume and 22% by value. Mining also brings important benefits to regional and rural development. Morocco has important phosphate reserves and has developed a phosphate industry ranked first in the world as an exporter and third place globally as a producer. Morocco also enjoys a prime interna- tional position with regard to a number of minerals including silver and gold. The Moroccan mining sector, excluding phos- phates, faces several challenges, especially the need to discover new mineral deposits, optimize the returns on the extracted minerals and ensure sus- tainable development. As part of the implementation of this ambitious new strategy, several projects are being launched to improve the attractiveness of the mining sector and the acceleration of investments especially in the research stage. The changes are designed to modernize the leg- islative framework, accelerate mapping and carto- graphic production, and restructure artisanal mining. In terms of geology, the Department of Energy and Mines has established a new department dedicated to Geology. Morocco aspires to boost its mining and hydrocarbons exploration programs and this de- partment will provide an efficient structure able to stimulate the national geological mapping program. Concerning artisanal mining, activities in the north- ern central and eastern mining region of Tafilalet and Figuig require more sophisticated techniques to con- tinue to mine the rich mineralization at deeper levels. New legislation will lift the restrictions for access by private investors, while safeguarding the rights of ar- tisanal miners. The purpose is to ensure the integra- tion of the region into the investment process and within the dynamism of the Moroccan mining sector. To facilitate access to its mining areas, Morocco has renowned world-class port facilities, energy and water infrastructures, roads, and highways. The country continues to strengthen its capacity to support new mining projects which will certainly be launched under the new mining strategy. adverTiseMenT Morocco Prof ile TOP: September 20, 2014. As part of the implementation of the new national mining strategy, Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Morocco Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment inaugurates the restart of the Zgounder silver mine – owned by Canadian Maya Gold and Silver – located in the rural town Askaoun, Province of Taroudant, Morocco. LEFT: Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Morocco Minister of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment. The new mining law aims to improve the attractiveness of the sector through the following key benefits: • Extending the scope of the mining legisla- tion on other mineral substances; • Introduction of the prospecting license to operate in large areas; • Extension of the mining license to the entire mining products; • Introduction of new authorizations (under- ground cavities, dumps and tailings); • Extending the duration of mining licenses until the end of reserves; • Introducing further requirements for environmental preservation.

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