GABON Law and Practice Contributed by: Jean-Pierre Bozec, Project Lawyers
holding the mining title may also be pledged or other - wise used as security in accordance with Gabonese civil and commercial law. Creating a security interest requires a formal agree - ment between the holder of the title or asset and the secured creditor. To ensure enforceability against third parties, the security must then be registered with the tax administration and, for most types of movable security, recorded in the Commercial and Movable Credit Register maintained by Gabonese court reg - istries. This publicity requirement is essential, as it determines the creditor’s priority ranking and its abil - ity to enforce rights in the event of default. The 2025 Finance Act has standardised the cost of these formalities by introducing a fixed registration fee of XAF20,000 for most of the security instruments within the tax administration. This fixed fee applies to a broad range of guarantees commonly used in min - ing finance, including pledges over business assets, mortgages, first-demand guarantees, charges and pledges over professional equipment or receivables. A stamp duty of XAF500 per page remains payable on documents submitted for registration. 6. Mining: Outlook and Trends 6.1 Two-Year Forecast for the Mining Sector The outlook for the mining sector in Gabon over the next two years appears cautiously optimistic, driven by strong government support and a desire to diver - sify the sector. For 2026, the Finance Act provides for a mining and industry state budget of XAF73.30 billion, a significant increase from XAF9.12 billion in 2025. This unprec - edented boost demonstrates the state’s commitment to revitalising the sector through funding exploration activities, regulatory reforms and infrastructure devel - opment, as well as by promoting the exploitation of new mineral deposits beyond the traditional focus on manganese.
While manganese remains a cornerstone of Gabonese mining, other minerals, including iron from the Belin - ga or Bamiaka deposits, rare earth elements, potash mine in Mayumba and precious metals, are attracting attention. Recent initiatives, such as the commission - ing of a local gold refinery, reflect the government’s emphasis on value addition and local processing rather than the simple export of raw materials. These developments indicate that the country may see new exploration and development projects, and associat - ed infrastructure and mining plants, come online over the next two years. The regulatory framework is also evolving. The govern - ment plans to publish several implementing decrees for the 2019 Mining Code in 2026, which will clarify procedures for strategic or sovereign substances, environmental obligations, local processing incentives and investor rights. If implemented effectively, these measures could reduce legal uncertainties, attract new investors and accelerate project development. However, the sector remains exposed to global market fluctuations. The demand for manganese, for exam - ple, has been volatile, impacting production forecasts for operators such as Comilog. Prices for iron, rare earths and other strategic minerals are also sensi - tive to international market conditions and industrial demand, which could affect the economic viability of projects in the short term. Gabon is also improving its commitment to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).
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