On February 19 in Kinshasa, authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a framework agreement to regulate the production and marketing of artisanal gold. Through this agreement, the government aims to improve the traceability of gold flows, strengthen the sector's organization, and consolidate national sovereignty over its natural resources.
The Institutional Framework Agreement covers the implementation of the national AXIS (Asset-Exchange-Impact-Sovereign) Program and the Goldconnect initiative, which incorporates the mechanism known as the Sovereign Gold Reserve Token (SGRT). The ceremony took place under the high patronage of President Félix Tshisekedi, in the presence of the Minister of Mines, Louis Watum Kabamba, representatives of the DRC Social Fund, and the financial partner Phoenix Capital BV, underscoring the strategic importance of this reform.
According to the Minister of Mines, this agreement constitutes "a major strategic step in consolidating governance of the artisanal mining sector," and not a mere administrative formality. The authorities wish to better structure a sector long characterized by informality and parallel networks.
The AXIS Programme and the Goldconnect initiative aim to organize the production and sales of artisanal gold, ensuring greater transparency and enhanced monitoring of flows. The SGRT mechanism is designed to link a portion of production to a state-controlled financial instrument. The government specifies that this system will be implemented without creating public debt or transferring sovereignty.
Beyond structuring the sector, the government hopes to increase public revenue by reducing illicit exports and gradually integrating artisanal miners into the formal sector. The agreement reaffirms the primacy of national sovereignty over natural resources and establishes an institutional framework to secure operations.
The authorities also emphasize the expected impact on local communities, with a model presented as more responsible and better regulated. Through this reform, the DRC aims to make artisanal gold mining a driver of national development, placing control of its strategic resources at the heart of its economic strategy.
