The moratorium on mining is now the law of the Republic

It was only a matter of minutes President Laurentino Cortizo will approve Bill 407 on the mining moratoriumwhich was adopted this morning in the third debate in the National Assembly.

On a non-working day, National Gazette No. 29904 was published on November 3 of this year which includes a new rule prohibiting the granting of concessions for the exploration, extraction, transportation and benefit of metal mining throughout the national territory.

Before this law, Only in the Ngäbe Buglé region was open pit mining prohibiteda situation that from this moment extends to the rest of the country.

He Ministry of Trade and Industry (Mici) They will not be able to grant concessions and will refuse any new request to obtain said concessions.

Similarly, All pending metal mining concession applications will be rejectedfor which Mici will have three months to submit it.

Except, No concession for the exploitation, extraction, transport and benefit of metallic minerals will be renewed or extended. before the promulgation of the law.

According to the last updated list of the Administration for Mineral Raw Materials Mici 103 requests for granting mining concessions were submitted in Veraguas, Herrera, Los Santos, Coclé, Colón, Chiriquí, Panama East, Panama West, Panama East, Darién, Bocas del Toro and the Guna Yala region.

Among the minerals that are exploited are gold, magnetite, copper, manganese and others.

Except, has 15 approved concessionswhose contracts will not be extended according to this law.

The Most of these concessions have already expired. and actually only three are in force. Besides that Mining of Panamathey stayed Vera Gold Corporation, SA., which operates in Cañazas, Veraguas province, whose contract expires in 2035.

This company has another ongoing contract whose expiration date does not appear.

Also, there is Golden bottleis currently not working and whose contractual relationship is in court proceedings.

Finally, there is the case company, Zioro, SAinterested in gold mining in Capira, Chame and Penonomé, which received an exploration contract in 1995 and requested a second extension in 2001.

Among the contracts that have expired, there are also those that are in the process of being extendedsuch as the case of Cerro Quema, in Los Santos.