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Loi n° 2014-138 repeals the 1995 Code Minier (Loi n° 95-553) in its entirety and restates the Ivorian mining-rights architecture across 197 articles in 16 titles. The statute is the parent authority under which all individual mining conventions, implementing decrees (Decret n° 2014-397 du 25 juin 2014; Decret n° 2014-632 du 22 octobre 2014 on title fees) and subsequent fiscal amendments operate.
Permit typology (Titles III-VII) The Code defines six primary title types:
Each title carries limited real-property rights over the mineral column within the delimited perimeter, constitutive of the mineral title as a transferable, encumberable asset under Ivorian property law.
State-carry and SODEMI architecture (Title X) Articles 77-86 mandate a 10% free-carry equity stake for the state in all industrial mining projects, held through SODEMI (Societe pour le Developpement Minier de la Cote d'Ivoire). SODEMI is the permanent strategic vehicle for state participation in major concessions, operating as a carried interest holder and JV co-investor in projects run by Endeavour (Ity, Lafigue), Perseus (Yaoure), Barrick (Tongon), and others. The 10% free-carry is non-dilutable absent mutual agreement.
Fiscal architecture (Title XI) The Code establishes four principal fiscal instruments: 1. Redevance ad valorem (ad valorem royalty) — a tiered percentage of extracted mineral value payable to the state. The original gold rate schedule ran from 3% (at or below USD 1,000/oz) to 6% (above USD 2,000/oz). These tiers were raised by 2 percentage points across the board by the 2025 Finance Law. 2. Redevance superficiaire (surface royalty) — per-hectare annual fee indexed to permit type. 3. Impot sur les benefices industriels et commerciaux des mines (IS-mines) — ring-fenced mining income tax; rate fixed in the convention miniere. 4. Contribution au fonds de formation et de developpement minier — mandatory levy to fund mining-sector training and community-development programs.
Social and environmental obligations (Titles XII-XIV) Titulaires must submit environmental and social impact assessments, fund rehabilitation bonds, and comply with Ivorian-content and employment-priority provisions.
Dispute resolution (Title XVI) Mining disputes between the state and permit holders are referred to competent Ivorian commercial chambers (Tribunaux de commerce), with ICSID or ICC arbitration available only where explicitly agreed in the convention miniere.
Barrick, Resolute, and Allied Gold concession agreement references Loi 2014-138 as the governing statute for permit rights and fiscal obligations.
than Mali's 35%-Malian-side floor (2023 Code Minier) and Burkina Faso's 2024 tightening, but consistent with the West-African Francophone peer group as of 2014.
European and Swiss refiners (LBMA-certified). Any Code amendment tightening state-take will ripple into AISC at Ity (Endeavour's flagship, approx. 350 koz/yr target) and Yaoure (Perseus, approx. 230 koz/yr).
permits (Nimba / Grand-Lahou zones) and nickel-cobalt prospects (Sipilou), relevant to EV battery supply-chain diversification.
in every major project's upside without bearing exploration capex.
expert consultations) raising the free-carry to 15-20% and aligning with the Mali/BF trajectory?
invoked against the 2025 LdF royalty hike?