Gafsa Phosphate Company 2011–present

Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Post-Tunisian Revolution (2011–present)

After the fall of the Ben Ali regime in January 2011 the company ran into difficulties meeting social demands. Starting in January 2011 strikes and protest movements organized by the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) caused a 40% decline in production and loss of international markets, particularly in India. The company also faced competition from expanded phosphate production in Morocco and new producers in Saudi Arabia and Peru, coupled with declining demand in India and China. The governments made concessions such as cancelling outsourcing and bringing employees of suppliers into the CPG. This raised the workforce from 8,000 employees to 30,000 between 2010 and 2014. At the same time, sit-ins by the unemployed of the region handicapped operations. In May 2015 the managers and agents of the company suspended administrative and social activities, stopped payments and closed the head office.

A 2016 report noted that the two companies of the CPG-GCT group had a shared management structure, and were releasing little information to the public. The CPG had never published its financial statements, despite being required to do so by law. The 1953 mining decree and the mining code do not require publication of details of research and extraction contracts. There was a lack of public information on the composition and functions of the board of directors and associated committees, and information on the work and reports of internal and external auditors was very limited. There was also a lack of transparency about the management and governance practice of subsidiaries.

Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Facilities

As of 2016 the company produced filtered and dried phosphate for the market. The Gafsa phosphate basin in the southeast of Tunisia on the Algerian border had mining, quarrying and enrichment units. There were seven open pit mines, one underground mine, and seven washing facilities.

There were five mining sectors:

• Métlaoui Kef Schfaier includes the Kef Shfaier quarry and the Metlaoui washing facilities
• Métlaoui Kef Eddour includes the Kef Eddour quarry and washing facility
• Redeyef includes the Erg-Lasfar mine and the Redeyef quarry and washing facility
• Moulares includes the Mrata mine and the Moularès quarry and washing facility
• M'dhilla includes the Jellabia and Mzinda quarries and the M'dhilla washing facilities
• The company also has licenses in Chott El Jerid in the north and Meknassy in the south of Tunisia.

Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Overview

Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Company Type: Phosphates
Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Industry: Mining
Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Founded: 1897
Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Defunct: 1994
Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Fate: Merged with the CGT: Groupe chimique tunisien
Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Headquarters: Gafsa, Tunisia
Compagnie des Phosphates de Gafsaan Owner: Tunisian state