Devils Below

💡Resource Nationalism Index [ MALI ] The first country in this series is Mali - a Sahel state that, after the 2021 change of power, many in the West started labeling “resource nationalist” and “pro-Russian” (even though not a single Russian company operates in Mali, while plenty of European and American firms do). With the 2023 Mining Code, Bamako has clearly hardened its stance toward miners - though very much in line with a broader global trend to capture more value at home. So how strong is “resource nationalism” in Mali? 🔸 "Process It First" – 7/10 – Local processing is mandatory, prioritizing state-owned plants, however, necessary facilities don’t always exist. 🔸 "Share With the State” – 0/10 – No requirements to transfer or sell a portion of output to the state on a priority basis. 🔸 “We’re in Too!” – 9/10 – The state gets a mandatory 10% free carry in new projects, with the option to lift its stake by another 20% + 5% are reserved for local investors. 🔸“The Money's Yours, the People Are Ours" – 9/10 – The 2023 Mining Code requires approximately 95% of staff to be Malian nationals and at least 35% of services to be sourced from local contractors. 🔸“Just Pay Up" – 10/10 – Tax of 7.5% take scales with the gold price, plus extra levies if production transcends planned volumes. 🔸"You Come – You Build" – 6/10 – Companies must contribute just under 1% of revenue to local community development. 🔸“We'll Do It Ourselves” – 4/10 – There is a state miner SOREM, but its extraction capacity is unclear and causes doubts, also a state refinery has been announced in mid-2025, but it hasn't been completed so far. 🔸“Come Here, You Bastard!” – 4/10 – Major deposits are under control, but insurgent activity persists on the periphery and illegal artisanal mining remains an issue. Overall, Mali received a solid score of 6.1 out of 10 with strong emphasys on taxes, local content and state participation and modest requirements in other spheres. #Mali#ResourceNationalism Devils Below