Centralized mechanisms for fund distributions are very difficult to implement as it is hard to please everyone. We support these initiatives but we have seen that using them adequately is not an easy task. The funds need to be used in a very transparent manner and authorities need to make sure that they are investing in projects that support the wellbeing of communities. Peru, for instance, transfers 50 percent of the revenues it receives from the mining industry to surrounding communities but the government was not properly overseeing its use. This meant that municipal leaders were investing in the wrong type of projects and cases of corruption arose. These initiatives are meant to eliminate conflict between authorities and communities but they can sometimes end up causing more problems than they were meant to solve.

Lithium is the flavor of the month at the moment for several reasons, the most important being that people have not yet lost money on it in a prior market downcycle. This means investors are generally unburdened by caution when it comes to this metal and there are no bad expectations. Another factor is that the world is not short of lithium. The reason for the upsurge is that demand for lithium increased so quickly that the producers of the metal could not increase their productive capacity fast enough to meet demand, and the speculators conflated the price increase in lithium with a shortage of lithium. There is no shortage of lithium, rather a shortage of lithium processing capability, and the industry is working very hard to increase productive capacity, which will fix this problem.

At Platosa, we have the benefit of high grade silver, lead and zinc production with 50 percent of our revenues from base metals. As a result, we have some protection against weaker silver prices and volatile fluctuations. We still strongly believe in silver’s potential, as a vitally important metal and as one of the most reflective and conductive materials with multiple uses that permeate every new technology. We are living in the future and as we make more advancement, we must go back to the source to build our dreams. Our main objective is to continue to unlock exploration potential, and secure future supply.

The Ministry of Economy has implemented several actions to ease doing business in Mexico. It has reduced regulations to facilitate investment in sectors where FDI was previously restricted, such as telecommunications and energy. It has increased accessibility and transparency of the Public Registry of Commerce and Property. With Congress’ support, it has created a new corporate figure called Simplified Joint Stock Company, which allows an individual to open a business online, at no cost, and at any time when its annual income remains below MX$5 million. Finally, it has encouraged the use of electronic platforms to ease processes concerning FDI registry, allowing access to the required national standardization procedures and applicable standards or technical regulations.