At the beginning of 2020, the DRC government announced the Enterprise Generale du Cobalt (EGC), the state-owned miner Gecamines becomes the state-controlled buyer of cobalt, to purchase and market all cobalt from small-scale artisanal miners (accounting for 15 to 30% of cobalt production), that is not mined industrially. This in effect will centralise the trade, help better regulate the industry in the DRC by fighting mining fraud and maximise state revenues. A complex but necessary step forward for the globally lucrative cobalt mining industry dominant Democratic Republic of Congo.