Extractive Activities Must Be Restarted As Early As Possible

The Ministry of Economy, by way of its Head of Extractive Activities, has reassured that mining and extractive activities, through concessions, must be restarted as early as possible, notwithstanding official positions made by the president.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Economy reassured that they’re working hard on having these mining concessions reactivated, “given that it is necessary to have exploration activities.”

This goes directly against the official position of the federal government under the administration of President López Obrador, who’s gone on record saying no new mining concessions would be given under his watch.

Efraín Alva Niño, Head of the Coordination Unit for Extractive Activity (UCAE) from the Ministry of Economy, highlighted the role that the organism’s head, Tatiana Clouthier is one of negotiation and facilitation towards requirements in the mining industry.

Alva Niño recognized that exploration is an “essential activity” for the economic development of the country, but that it is a task difficult to conciliate. “We have the need to inform and communicate the real information regarding this activity, with available data,” he said.

During his intervention for the 34th International Mining Convention in Acapulco, he stated that for the Ministry of Economy the exploration phase is to be reactivated as soon as possible, referencing a popular phrase in the industry about “mortgaging the country’s future,” which is “obviously worrying,” he said.

Karen Flores, Director of CAMIMEX, said that no new concessions have been granted in over two years. The organism charged with granting these concessions, the General Direction of Mines, receives about 2,000 petitions each year. “The investment numbers could explode to US$25 billion should there exist a public policy that incentivizes mining activity, with its respective job creation, coupled with a higher fiscal contribution, upwards of MX$30 billion,” she added.

On his part, Jaime Gutíerrez, President of CAMIMEX, said that the industry gets mixed responses from the authorities. “There is a possibility of more or less open dialogue. If you do not explore, sooner or later the mine and the operation will end, hence the importance of insisting on exploration,” Gutiérrez said.