OUAGADOUGOU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Burkina Faso's Prime Minister Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire said Thursday that the country is open to more investors in its mining sector.
"We want the whole world to know that our country is a mining country and that investors are welcomed," said the prime minister in an opening speech at the West African Week of Mining Activities.
"The mining sector is the most dynamic sector that creates employment in our country," said Dabire. "We have to pay it due importance so as to enable it to fully play its role in the private sector."
Burkina Faso experienced a mining boom over the past few decades with 15 industrial mines at present, of which 14 are gold mines and one a zinc mine.
Gold production in the country reached 51.63 tons in 2018, up from 46.39 tons in 2017, an 11.3 percent increase.
Direct investment flows in the gold sector reached 1.46 trillion CFA francs in 2018 (2.4 billion U.S. dollars), up from 1.39 trillion CFA francs (2.3 billion dollars) in 2016.
The gold sub-sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) increased from 7.9 percent in 2015 to 11.4 percent and 10.6 percent in 2017 and 2018 respectively, exceeding the target of 10.2 percent by 2020.
