Mali: License processing times

Mali, Africa's third-largest gold producer, saw industrial gold production rise by 23% in 2018 due to new mineral discoveries. Between 2010 and 2022, approximately 1,700 exploration licenses were granted in the country’s mining sector.

As the sector expanded, the licensing process became more streamlined. Using systematically disclosed data from Mali's Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water, the EITI International Secretariat examined the time taken to process exploration licenses, from application submission to approval.

Improved efficiency in license processing

The analysis reveals a sharp decline in the time required to process exploration licenses between 2010 and 2022. In 2010, the average processing time was 507 days, compared to just 25 days in 2022.

The graph highlights two notable trends: 

1. Increased applications with reduced processing times: Despite the number of license applications more than doubling in some years (e.g. 2015 and 2021), processing times significantly decreased over time. This suggests improvements in administrative efficiency.
2. Instances of rapid processing: In some cases, licenses appeared to be awarded before the formal submission of applications, raising questions about potential vulnerabilities in the licensing process.

These findings underscore the need for stronger oversight to ensure licensing protocols are followed. Data-driven analysis relies on sustained transparency, which can be achieved through mechanisms such as the EITI, even in more challenging operating environments.

This analysis is based on data from Mali's mining cadastre: https://repo-prod.revenuedev.org.