Korea to Boost CAPAM’s Activities

Visiting Korean mining experts held by the working session with CAPAM officials on Thursday, 16 December 2010.

Operational framework to support and promote small-scale mining (CAPAM), the government agency for implementation in the mining sector is expected to boost Korea soon. This stems from the Korean government plans to finance and build a national laboratory for research in mineral resources in Cameroon, the structure, is the desire of CAPAM.

A Korean delegation of five men on a mission in the country on Thursday, December 16, 2010 held a meeting with officials at the headquarters of CAPAM institution Ngousso, Yaounde. The session was an opportunity for experts to get informed of that fact the country in terms of exploration and mining, and the challenge of revitalizing the sector.

In an elaborate presentation of the institution, CAPAM’s National Coordinator, Paul Gweth Ntep, traced the path covered by the institution since takeoff in 2003. He said the institution has been able to carry on to completion the first phase of its programme of activities (from 2005 – 2009) and has engaged the 2010-2015 second phase to cover the national territory.

Mr Gweth Ntep said their programme consists in supporting mining production, processing of mineral products, improving geological and mining information, among others. The latter being the most difficult of their missions thus far, given that a laboratory is needed to do all that. “Earlier, we had planned to come up with a geological and mining laboratory and a database unit and the coming of the Koreans with plans to build a national mineral resource research laboratory is a welcome relief to us”, CAPAM’s National Coordinator said. “Our laboratory in the ministry is not functioning and we badly need to improve mining and geological information in the country.

And to do this, you need to collect samples on the field and analyse them abroad, an endeavour that has thus far proved expensive; money and time-wise,” he added. Mr Gweth Ntep rejoiced that with the announced laboratory, CAPAM will be able to accompany the Ministry of Industries, Mines and Technological Development in exploring the rest of the 60 per cent national territory whose mineral potentials is yet to be uncovered.

In response, welcomed the chief of the Korean delegation, Jong Ho Choi, moves CAPAM. “We have seen that CAPAM has great potential to further develop in the future and we would also have good cooperation in future too,” he said.