Argentina: 13 provinces will sign a new Federal Mining Pact

The representatives of the mining provinces agreed on the points of the new Federal Mining Pact. Juan Manuel Urtubey of Salta, Lucía Corpacci of Catamarca, Omar Gutiérrez of Neuquén, Alberto Weretilneck of Río Negro, Juan Schiaretti of Córdoba, Gustavo Bordet of Entre Ríos, Gerardo Morales of Jujuy, Sergio Uñac of San Juan, Alicia Kirchner of Santa Cruz, Roxana Bertone of Tierra del Fuego, María Eugenia Vidal of Buenos Aires, Claudia Ledesma Abdala of Santiago del Estero and Oscar Herrera Aguad de Misiones participated in the agreement between the provinces. In addition, they agreed on the points aswell Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren and Mining Secretary Daniel Meilán.

Some of the guidelines set forth in the Covenant are as follows:

1. The current projects in each province maintain the tax and legal schemes that gave rise to the exploitation. For future projects, royalties are set with a cap of up to 3%.

2. 1% of the National Mining Fund was eliminated.

3. On the trusts, the structures that are currently in the active projects are maintained. Future projects will establish a trust that can range from 0% to 1.5%. Those that are in operation are not modified.

4. The power of environmental and technical control is from the provinces.

According to the draft of the document, "a mining activity, exercised in a responsible manner and in accordance with the principles of sustainable development, has the potential to contribute to a more just, equitable and federal country, allowing its inhabitants the full development in The place in which they have been born or elected to live, "which requires" a Mining State Policy for the 21st Century. "

Such guidance should include "greater benefits for communities" in mining areas, consolidation of a "strong industrial sector" and "a strong value chain" with "high standards of environmental management and control."

Based on these grounds, the document advances in 5 major chapters on Community and Social Aspects, Productive Development, Environmental Management, Institutional and Normative Issues and the controversial Economic and Tax Aspects.