Fako SDO spits fire at illegal quarry exploiters

Fako’s Senior Divisional Officer, Zang III, has ordered the immediate stop of operation, by quarry operators who have been operating with no documents.

This firm instruction was dished out to divisional officers of the division, during a working session with quarry operators on Wednesday, January 28, aimed to sensitise all quarry operators for the regularisation of their administrative documents.

After listing a number of irregularities which currently plague the sector, including the non-respect of administrative procedures, encroachment, non or late payment of taxes, non-respect of technical rules and regulations, violation of injunction orders, non-respect of legal working period, indiscriminate use of roads etc, Zang III, said it is time order is brought into the sector.

He reminded the operators that the only competent office to issue authorisation for them to operate is the office of the SDO, and in doing so, it is the state, and not private surveyors who are to draw-up site plans. Zang condemned the dubious and arrogant manner in which some operators went about their duties, acting in illegality and misusing state property.

He urged them to strive to be good citizens and good economic operators to help build the state, by abiding by the rules in place.

On her part, the divisional delegate of mines and technological development, Pauline Nkono, elaborated the new finance law no.2014/26 of 23rd December 2014, which has come in place and has changed a lot of things in the 2002 mining law.

She highlighted the various changes, especially the fact that money which used to be paid at the delegation for declaration, will now be paid at the bank. She enlightened the operators on the process involved in obtaining authorisation, emphasising that they must stop at the SDO’s office first, before going to the delegation.

Pauline Nkono also said, a majority of the operators are in possession of expired documents, and urged them to get their documents in the days ahead.

After close to a three-hour deliberative session, the SDO gave an ultimatum of a two-month period, (deadline March 31st), during which all operators with expired documents, but whose applications have been tabled, are demanded to regularise their situation.

He stated that those who have been operating with no documents will only commence after March 31st. Zang III said a Prefectoral Order is going to be signed in the days ahead to prohibit exploitation at night and on Sundays, and a technical committee to be set up to define and enforce obligations. He said there will be an imminent visit to all the sites in the division, by himself and his team, in the days ahead.