Sir, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Simon TUMA WAKU. I have a long history in the mining sector, as you should know. For those of you who know me, I am the former Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons who sponsored, as they say, the first mining code in 2001.
Tell us about the themes that were illustrated this year and what really struck you about the conferences you attended?
I’ve been attending this conference for over 19 years. I’d rather talk about how it has evolved, where we are today, and future prospects. Because I’m amazed at how big it’s become. When I compare last year’s conference with this one. I remind you that last year, we didn’t have pavilions from countries like Sweden, the United States of America, the European Union or Belgium.
So it’s proof that our mining sector continues to pull the Congo upwards. I would very much like the central government, as well as the provincial government, to capitalise on the impact of today’s conference, not only in the province of Haut-Katanga, but in the DRC as a whole.
If I have to talk about my career, Madam, we’re going to sleep here, because it goes back a long way, to 2001. When I was Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons and I was at the start of the mining code, I was the one who defended it before parliament so that we could relaunch what we are experiencing today.
Thanks to this law, which is a human achievement, we can criticise it, but I believe that there is a consensus and we are living it today.
It is thanks to this law that we are attracting major companies to invest in our country.
On the subject of conferences, there are different themes. The conference is trying to diversify these themes. We can talk about the financing of the mining sector, we can talk about discussions between the CEOs of the companies, what we call the CEO Forum, but there are also environmental problems, and there are the spin-offs for the communities. So we try to diversify the themes of the discussions so that everyone can find something to talk about.
And what’s interesting is that there’s the exhibition side, but also the academic side, if I can put it that way. Everyone can listen to the experts in the field, give their point of view and see how we can solve certain problems.
Any final words on DRC Mining Week?
We’re on a roll. We need to maintain that momentum, because it’s very important. Beyond the conference, it’s what it brings, as I said, for the province of Haut Katanga, but above all for the DRC, because we’re attracting everyone now. And why not tomorrow? We will become the Mining Indaba of the DRC.