Highlights:

• Kasai province partners with the mining cadastre agency to boost surface tax collection from diamond concessions
• Agreement provides technical support and staff training to maximize provincial mining tax revenues
• Surface tax rates range from $0.2-$0.8 per hectare annually, depending on permit type and duration

Kasai province is stepping up efforts to collect surface taxes from its lucrative diamond mining operations. The provincial government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Cadastre Minier on September 12, 2025, aimed at improving tax collection from mining concessions.

The partnership with Cami, the body managing the DRC's mining domain, provides technical and institutional support, including tax collection assistance, cadastral database sharing, and provincial staff training. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to maximize mining tax revenues for provincial benefit.

Governor Crispin Mukendi said the agreement will help the provincial government better exercise its authority and capture more tax benefits, contributing to improved local governance and increased public revenues.

The surface tax is mandated under Article 238 of the 2018 Mining Code and applies to holders of exploration permits and mining exploitation rights. Tax amounts are calculated based on concession size.

Exploration permit rates start at $0.2 per hectare in the first year, rising to $0.3 in the second year, $0.35 in the third year, and $0.4 from the fourth year onward. Mining rights carry higher rates beginning at $0.4 per hectare in year one, increasing to $0.6, $0.7, and finally $0.8 per hectare from the fourth year.

The move comes as provinces across the DRC seek to capture greater value from natural resource extraction. Kasai's diamond wealth has historically generated limited local benefits, with much revenue flowing to national coffers or private operators.

Ronsard Luabeya