Tracking Development - Rio Tinto - Qit Madagascar Minerals

Challenges on Site
The development of a company the size of QMM
within a region like Anosy presented major challenges,
some of which were anticipated, while others could
not have been foreseen. Despite the many years
of planning and preparation, the local population
was not always prepared for the dramatic changes
brought about by the QMM project.
QMM attempted to manage the unrealistic
expectations that came with the announcement
of the mine’s construction. Although aware of
the local populations’ expectations of jobs, the
scale of demand, especially after the construction
phase ended and a large number of positions were
eliminated, was overwhelming. Much of the local
population, employed on short-term contracts, were
dissatisfied when their positions were no longer
needed. Many misunderstood the termination of
contracts as firing. Local businesses that prospered
during the height of construction, providing services
such as hotel accommodation and vehicle rentals,
saw their markets disappear after the large number
of construction workers left.
Nevertheless, employment goals set by the SEIA in
2001 were far exceeded. For example, local and
national construction workforce hired from 2006 to
July 2008 was approximately 87 per cent of the total
workforce, significantly surpassing the initial target of
35 per cent 14 .
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