ECONOMY

South : Young people can form cooperatives to prospect for gold

ALGIERS- Young people are allowed to form cooperatives to explore and exploit gold mines in the south of the country, said Minister of Mines Mohamed Arkab.

This is likely to end the uncontrolled exploitation of this mineral resource.
The minister was the guest of a national television show "Al-Djazair Al-Youm" (today's Algeria) aired on Wednesday.

He broached the gold mines of Tirek and Amesmessa in the province of Tamanrasset, recalling that "the last Council of Ministers meeting approved the first phase of exploitation of the Tamanrasset and Djanet gold deposits by youth cooperatives, for the non-exploitable part in industry."

The minister explained that "these cooperatives will be allotted perimeters for artisanal prospecting for gold," adding that "the collection and the processing of the extracted gold will be ensured by the Company for Gold Mines Exploitation (ENOR) and the young people of the cooperatives will be remunerated."

As for the industrial exploitation of gold mines, the Minister said that set of specifications will be elaborated to manage the large deposits.
President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, had, during the last meeting of the Council of Ministers, encouraged the minister's proposal to start preparing texts authorizing the exploitation of the Djanet and Tamanrasset gold deposits by young cooperatives, for the part that cannot be used in industry, and launch a partnership for large deposits.

Algeria possesses 1,700 mineral resources, said Arkab, adding that 40 groups of these resources are imported from abroad worth a bill of one (01) billion dollar that can be increased. "