The Minister of Commerce, Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises, Dr. Bernard Goumou, announced after a cabinet meeting last week that the Guinean government has ordered the closure of 1,764 industrial units across the country and withdrawn 40 mining permits.

The closure of industrial units follows an audit launched in early 2024, aimed at identifying companies operating outside the legal framework or in violation of current environmental and fiscal standards. According to the minister, “it is a necessary decision.” According to him, “many units operated without approval, without complying with minimum safety or pollution standards, or did not pay any taxes. This is no longer acceptable.” The inspections, carried out jointly by the services of the Ministry, the Guinean Agency for Standardization and Metrology (AGANOR), and local authorities, revealed a vast network of undeclared industrial activities, often located in undeveloped areas, sometimes in disregard of land and urban planning laws