AAMIG
AAMIG establishes its credentials During the four years since being incorporated , the Australia-Africa Mining Industry Group ( AAMIG ) has established itself as the peak industry body supporting the Australian resources sector operating in the countries of Africa .
AAMIG now has more than 100 members representing explorers , mineral and energy companies , and suppliers of goods and services . The organisation has carved out an important role for itself in three key areas :
• Providing a forum for members to network and share African operational experiences in responsible business practices ,
• Advocating at an industry level on behalf of its members , and
• Assisting members to engage with Australian and African Governments as well as important institutions and other organisations .
Australia ’ s Footprint in Africa Over the last decade and a half , the footprint of the Australian resources sector on the African continent has grown dramatically with now , more than [ 150 ] ASX-listed companies active on over [ 1,000 ] projects in [ 38 ] of the 54 countries of Africa . This increased activity has resulted in Australian companies discovering more than $ 700 billion worth of mineral and coal resources during the five-year period from 2008- 13 , accounting for more than one quarter of discoveries globally by ASX-listed resource companies .
Non-Technical Risk Notwithstanding such technical success , for companies to be successful in Africa , in a manner that will be sustainable , they must deal effectively with a number of non-technical risk issues , some of which are Africa-specific . These issues include political and social risk , security and health issues , institutions that often lack capacity to function well , poverty and the adverse behaviour it encourages including bribery and corruption , the occasional unpredictable behaviour of host-country security forces , and many others .
These issues often present as new and unfamiliar challenges to companies from Australia , the
62 August 2015