Non-Industrial Mining License
Subject to the laws governing handicrafts in Cameroon, non-industrial mining shall be carried out only by natural persons of Cameroonian nationality. It shall be subject to the issuance of an individual non-industrial miner’s card and a non-industrial mining license under the terms and conditions laid down by regulation.
The non-industrial mining license is granted by the authority in charge of mines for a renewal period of 2 (two) years.
The collection of mineral substances shall be subject to the prior issuance of an individual mineral substance collector’s card.
The holder of an individual non-industrial miner’s card may, at any time, mark out one or several non-industrial mining perimeters, in accordance with the provisions of this law and the conditions laid down by regulation.
Where the holder of an individual non-industrial miner’s card marks out a non-industrial mining perimeter, he/she shall have such marking out established in accordance with the regulations in force and, within 30 (thirty) days from the date of such establishment, apply for a non-industrial mining licence from the authority in charge of mines.
The marking out of each land for which a non-industrial mining license is granted shall be a quadrangle with sides not exceeding 100 (one hundred) metres in length. The quadrangle must be contained in a cadastral unit that shall be determined by regulation.
A non-industrial mining license may be granted within an exploration permit, under the terms and conditions laid down by regulation.
Semi-Mechanized non-industrial Mining License
The license for semi-mechanized non-industrial mining of precious and semi-precious substances shall be granted by the minister in charge of mines for a renewable period of 2 (two) years to any legal person governed by Cameroonian law, under the terms and conditions laid down by regulation.
The license for semi-mechanised non-industrial mining of precious and semi-precious substances shall be granted within an exploration permit by the minister in charge of mines only upon the prior approval of the President of the Republic, under the terms and conditions laid down by regulation.
The shares of Cameroonians shall make up at least 51% (fifty-one percent) of the shareholding of the legal person under Cameroonian law.
The total surface area of the land for which the license for semi-mechanized non-industrial mining of presious and semi-precious substances is granted shall not exceed 21 (twenty-one) hectares and shall be a single polygonal-shaped block within one or several cadastral units as defined by regulation.