Ann: Quarterly Activities Report - December 2021, page-80

Thanks @Psalty, the relevance of World Bank meeting to Toliara approvals is subtle but not lost on me. Madagascar wants the World Banks money (and EU's money) and will need to play by the west's rules to get it. Base has, previously at least, been in discussions with World Bank about funding Toliara (not unlike the soft loans NAIF in Australia or other western guv's have set up to help worthy projects over the line).

Doubt the World Bank would look kindly on pseudo-nationalising Toliara or screwing western resource exploration/development companies who have put in years and very substantial risk investment into such projects. "Don;t bite the hand that feeds it" is the phrase that comes to mind. There is enough pie to be fairly shared, rules to be followed, and hefty sums of much needed investment/development to be undertaken... all with western finance and equity risk to be considered before anyone gets anything out of Toliara.