The Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, appointed a Multidisciplinary Technical Commission for the Digitisation of the Macro Process for Granting Licences for mining activities in the Republic of Angola, having implemented the Angola Digital Mining Registry System (CMA), with a view to achieving Objective 37.1 of Angola’s National Development Plan, which is to increase Angola’s geological knowledge with a view to drawing up maps and updating inventories of the country’s mineral resources, under the Programme for the Development and Modernisation of Geological and Mining Activities.

And, according to Presidential Decrees No. 181/22 and 182/22, both of 22 July, the Government committed itself to the 2022-2027 Digital Transition Agenda for Public Administration and the Project for the Simplification of Procedures in Public Administration, in order to prioritise and accelerate the implementation of projects using e-governance tools, consolidating the principle of administrative simplification to ensure the provision of efficient and excellent public services to individuals.

The CMA is an electronic platform that will simplify and ensure greater integration, modernise management, increase transparency and reduce bureaucracy in the granting of mining rights in the country.

According to Emanuel Saturnino, Coordinator of the Technical Commission for the Implementation of the Mining Licensing and Registration Management System (CMA), the tool will enable investors and operators to interact directly with the regulator, facilitating mining title applications and fee payments, while also contributing to economic diversification, attracting responsible investment and increasing public revenues.

In a recent interview in Luanda, the Technical Commission Coordinator explained that the transition to a fully digital Mining Registry represents a structural change in the way mining rights will be managed in Angola, which will make users feel more comfortable using this tool.

The Coordinator also stated that, more than a technological solution, the CMA introduces a new operating model based on clear, predictable processes aligned with international best practices.

In addition to innovation, the System also enhances the attractiveness of the sector, guarantees legal certainty for investors and consolidates the country’s geological and mining database.

Emmanuel Saturnino also pointed out that, although the experience of other countries was drawn upon, particularly for the acquisition of the software, all other components of the CMA, such as the Organisational Information System, were designed and developed by Angolan staff with knowledge and skills, high technical competence and mastery of the subject matter.

He added that the Technical Commission is currently involved in promoting the new tool, not only so that future users of the system are aware of it, but also so that they can ask questions and, above all, make any contributions they may have.