local actors on environmental monitoring and local taxation

At the initiative of the NGO Enda lead French-speaking Africa, in partnership with Oxfam, a two-day capacity building workshop (from January 9 to 10) brought together local stakeholders on environmental monitoring and local taxation.

The organization of the workshop on environmental monitoring and taxation in Kédougou, on January 9 and 10, aimed to push extractive companies to be more respectful of the environment and to allow communities to better benefit from revenues. from mining activities. Returning to the meeting, the project manager at the French-speaking NGO Enda Lead Africa indicated that it is an activity which aims to strengthen the capacities of local actors on environmental monitoring taking into account the impact of extractive activities in terms of environmental degradation. “We will have to be vigilant at the local level to ensure that companies are more respectful of the environment, by putting in place mechanisms to manage the environmental framework,” explained Serigne Saliou Sène. In this wake, he continued, “we considered it necessary to take the new reference framework of the World Bank, which came into force in 2018, with measures favorable to respect for the environment at the local level , but also to social issues,” added Mr. Sène.

Recalling that in general, all economic activities can impact the environment, he made it clear that they also have social overtones that will have to be taken into account.

Beyond the environmental aspect, he indicated that they also addressed local taxation issues given that they are in a mining area. “The revenues resulting from these activities must benefit the communities and they must be able to supply local budgets and in turn directly impact the populations,” specified the project manager, Serigne Saliou Sène.

For Oudy Diallo, responsible for the environment at the Kédougou Departmental Council, we must thank Enda lead Afrique francophone for all the activities it carries out in the region, particularly on ecological aspects and the impact of mining in the region. Kédougou region. “We find today in relation to this mining that many things do not go directly to local authorities. We need a lot of effort to draw resources from these mining companies to finance certain projects,” he said.

Amadou DIOP (Correspondent)