Tracking Development - Rio Tinto - Qit Madagascar Minerals

The future
Long-term sustainability
“QMM is an important motor of
development for the region, through
the direct economic activity of the mine
and port and through its actions as a
Responsible corporate entity 10 .”
While QMM is an important factor to regional development,
it is only one factor. The benefits derived from the project
can only be sustainable if QMM is one element of a
much broader and more ambitious regional development
strategy. The building of the vehicle for development
started very well with the establishment of the CRD and
the PDR. Unfortunately, the protracted political crisis and
the repercussions which have followed, particularly the
suspension of development financing, have impacted the
project and complicated QMM’s relations with a multitude
of stakeholders. This has placed QMM in a situation where it
risks becoming less of a development partner and more one
of the only development actors in the region.
Given this context, QMM has placed high priority on
rebuilding and strengthening key development partnerships.
Significant collaborative efforts are being made by the
private sector, local communities, government authorities
and civil society to revitalise a regional development platform
for Anosy. There remains a shared commitment to work
together to achieve goals once established in the PRD. There
is the hope that a relaunch of the CRD will take place, filled
with a new roundtable of partners working together to
update the PDR.
QMM’s conduct can set standards of responsibility and
excellence for subsequent mineral extraction projects in the
Madagascar, which is especially important given the rapid
increase in national mineral production. QMM must succeed
in commercial, environmental and social terms. Encouraging
progress is being made across many fronts and QMM is
working to not only improve relations with the community
but also reinvigorate many key regional institutions which have
the ability to lead the region into a better, more sustainable
future.
The Flagship Programmes: Fagneva and PDI
QMM has made a time-limited contribution to the sustainable
development of the region through the Fagneva programme
and the PDI. As the programmes are expected to continue
for another two and four years, activities are continually being
developed and implemented.
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