Chamber of Commerce: The country needs a new mining code

The Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) raises the need for the establishment of a responsible and modern mining policy, before the approval of the signing of a new contract between National Government and Panama Mining.

According to the union, the country must define its mining policy through a new one Mining Codewhich establishes specialized parameters for metal and non-metal mining of general application, leaving behind outdated practices and proposing mechanisms for responsible mining, with constant review and updating with the aim of continuous modernization of the industry.

“This is a complex industry that needs to operate responsibly, with good environmental protection plans to ensure there is no strong impact on the environment. “Mining, by its very nature, creates significant risks, which those who perform this activity must manage effectively and in a timely manner, sparing no effort, using best practice, with strict compliance with the law and with strict state supervision,” it was stated in detail in Sunday’s opinion column.

In addition, they believe that the economy created around this project, which has already generated thousands of direct and indirect jobs, must be taken into account. In that sense, Signing a new contract agreed upon by the parties seems to be a necessary step.

However, they point out that the evolution of the treaty negotiations has made it very clear that Panama has before it the critical urgency of establishing a new, strong and appropriate institutional framework to manage a problem with so many social, environmental and economic implications.

For CCIAP, access to mining activity cannot be easy; it must be accompanied by knowledge and technical advice.

They believe that the first step should be to rigorously complete the previous contracting, looking for the best interest of the state and its citizens. “Let’s prevent populist or electoral interests from intervening in the said process,” they added.

They also pointed out that it is important to carry out a general evaluation that allows us to move into a new phase of serious and responsible management, with the responsibility of all actors, in those activities that are thus defined by the new mining policy.

“Natural resources belong to all Panamanians and their treatment should be similar to that given to other critical issues that affect us all,” they conclude.