Morocco revises Tafilalet-Figuig mining tender after consultations with traditional miners

Morocco’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has revised the terms of a public tender covering 361 mining plots in the Tafilalet-Figuig mining region, following consultations with traditional miners and industry stakeholders, according to two senior ministry officials.

The ministry had announced in February a public competition process for the allocation of the plots, inviting interested candidates to submit applications through the regional directorates of the energy transition sector in Errachidia and Oujda, depending on the location of the mining areas concerned.

However, officials told Hespress AR that the tender’s original framework has since undergone a comprehensive review. The changes come in response to recommendations and observations raised during a series of consultations held after the initial announcement, including a workshop organized in Rabat several weeks ago.

One of the officials said Energy Transition Minister Leila Benali had instructed ministry services to take into account, as much as possible, the concerns and proposals put forward by traditional miners.

“The minister’s directives were clear following discussions dedicated to the situation of traditional miners and the challenges they face,” the official said. “The objective was to revise the first version of the public competition in a way that better responds to stakeholders’ expectations.”

The tender concerns the subdivision of the Tafilalet-Figuig mining zone, a vast area covering approximately 60,000 square kilometers. The issue has generated debate between the ministry and the Central Purchasing and Development Agency for the Tafilalet-Figuig Mining Region (CADETAF) on one side and traditional miners holding exploitation permits on the other.

According to the same source, the revised proposal does not aim to reduce available areas or tighten eligibility conditions. Instead, it seeks to expand the scope of the offer, increase the space available for mining activities, facilitate additional applications and simplify the process for obtaining mining permits.

“No changes are being made in the direction of reducing opportunities,” the official said. “If there are modifications, they are intended to increase the proposed areas and broaden access to benefits.”

A second official said the ministry’s central administration has already prepared a revised version of the tender, which is currently in the final stages of the approval process before being reissued. The updated version is expected to increase the total area covered compared with the original proposal.

Companies participating in the competition have been formally informed that the file is under review, in line with understandings reached during meetings involving government officials, traditional miners, interested firms and other stakeholders in the sector.

During those consultations, participants presented concerns, identified challenges and submitted proposals aimed at improving the implementation of the project.

The two officials said ministry services examined all proposals from legal, technical and regulatory perspectives before determining which could be adopted.

Suggestions deemed feasible and supported by the necessary legal and technical frameworks have been incorporated into the revised proposal, they said.

The updated tender is expected to seek a balance between promoting organized mining investment and addressing the expectations of traditional miners and economic operators active in the region.