Botswana has,
for the second time, ranked highest in the 2018 annual survey of mining and
exploration companies. The report is as a result of a survey conducted by the
annual Fraser Institute – Survey of Mining Companies 2018. According to the
report, Botswana is again the highest ranked jurisdiction in Africa on policy,
ranking 12th (of 83) in 2018.
The survey attempted to assess how mineral endowments and public policy factors such as taxation and regulatory uncertainty affect exploration investment. It was reportedly circulated electronically to approximately 2,600 individuals between August 21st and November 9th, 2018.
Furthermore, survey responses have been tallied to rank provinces, states, and countries according to the extent that public policy factors encourage or discourage mining investment. Of the assessments sent out, the Institute received a total of 291 responses for the survey, providing sufficient data to evaluate 83 jurisdictions.
By way of comparison, 91 jurisdictions were evaluated in 2017, 104 in 2016, 109 in 2015, and 122 in 2014. The number of jurisdictions that can be included in the study is intermittent as the mining sector grows or shrinks due to commodity prices and sectoral factors.
The investment attractiveness index takes both mineral and policy perception into consideration. As such, an overall Investment Attractiveness Index is constructed by combining the Best Practices Mineral Potential index, which rates regions based on their geologic attractiveness, and the Policy Perception Index, a composite index that measures the effects of government policy on attitudes toward exploration investment.
