Senegal’s Minister of Mines, Mr Oumar Sarr, visited GCO’s facilities on Thursday, July 8. The minister stated that he greatly appreciated the work done by Benoît Robitaille’s team, noting that it was one of the mining companies with the most significant financial contribution to the country’s economy.
Mr Sarr was accompanied by numerous figures from Dakar and the Thiès region, including the governor. The visit was an opportunity to see how the reality on the ground compared to the reports provided regularly by the company, as the Senegalese government is a GCO shareholder.
“Modern methods and expertise”
Throughout the visit, which lasted half a day, Mr Sarr asked several questions on both technical and social matters. The project to increase production capacity, dubbed “GCO Expansion”, was the subject of a detailed presentation by CEO Benoît Robitaille and Chairman of the Board, Daour Dieng. Out in the field, near the WCP, the minister was able to gauge the value of optimizing the recovery of mineral sands outside the dredger’s path, but still within the concession. The goal would be to increase production by 10%, along with the financial benefits accrued to the government and host communities, while providing more stability to the fledgling mining company.
The minister was pleased that GCO was meeting the annual production targets set in the “Sénégal Émergent” Plan (PSE). Speaking to members of the press, he said that he appreciated “GCO’s modern methods, the advanced technology, and the team’s expertise.” Benoît Robitaille reiterated that GCO had generated 81 billion CFA francs (€123 m) in economic benefits for the country in 2020.
Government to offer support to GCO
Mr Sarr also showed great interest in the explanations given by Mouhamat Seck, Mandiere Fall, and Ibrahima Diop regarding water, environmental, and community management. During their trip to Foth (a resettlement village built in 2019) and Keur Korka Sow (under construction), the visitors noted the high-quality dialogue and the consideration given to the community’s interests.
“GCO is upholding its social and environmental commitments,” he stated, while noting the company’s support for local communities in terms of jobs, drinking water access, and the creation of basic infrastructure. Mr Sarr indicated that the government would support GCO on these issues.
