Madagascar lifts 16-year ban on new mining permits, excludes gold

Published: Jan 30, 2026 18:06

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The Madagascan government recently announced the lifting of a 16-year moratorium on the issuance of new mining permits that has been in place since 2010. The ban was originally imposed to allow a review of the country’s mining governance and legal framework. Mining is a key pillar of Madagascar’s economy, with major export products including nickel, cobalt, graphite, and ilmenite. As of 2023, around 1,650 applications were still awaiting approval. However, due to major discrepancies between officially reported gold production figures and the scale of artisanal gold mining nationwide, as well as insufficient regulatory and monitoring capacity, the government has decided to maintain the moratorium on gold mining.

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