BAMAKO — Mali has launched a new state agency to regulate its artisanal gold sector as authorities move to tackle large-scale undeclared exports and improve oversight of the country’s lucrative mining industry.
Officials estimate that as much as $3.77 billion worth of gold is smuggled out of Mali annually, depriving the state of significant tax revenue and limiting the sector’s contribution to national development.
The new regulatory body is tasked with formalising small-scale and artisanal mining operations, improving tracking of gold production, and strengthening enforcement against illegal trade networks operating across mining regions and export routes.
Authorities say the reform is part of a broader strategy to ensure that Mali’s natural resource wealth generates greater domestic benefits, including increased public revenue, improved working conditions for miners, and stronger state control over strategic mineral exports.
The government also plans to introduce tighter licensing systems, expand monitoring at mining sites, and enhance cooperation with security forces to disrupt smuggling networks.
Analysts say artisanal mining remains a major source of employment in Mali, but weak regulation has long made the sector vulnerable to illicit trade, informal brokers, and cross-border trafficking.
Officials have not yet detailed the agency’s full operational framework, but say implementation will begin immediately as part of wider mining sector reforms aimed at strengthening economic sovereignty and reducing revenue leakages.
