MEM: Upcoming Workshop in Lima
Andina
May 5th 2010
Artisanal miners who develop this activity in various regions of the country expressed the desire to be formalised, reported the Director of Mining Promotion, Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), Henry Luna.
He said on May 31st and June 1st, the MEM will develop a major workshop in Lima in order to structure a work plan to carry workers to their formalisation.
“The workshop has been scheduled with the Ministry of Environment (Minam) and the Geological Mining and Metallurgical Institute (Ingemmet) to address the legal issue, environmental and social responsibility and business relating to mining activity,” he said.
He said that on the eve held a lengthy meeting with the National Society of Small-Scale Mining (Sonamipe), headed by its chairman, Manuel Reynoso.
This meeting was also attended by representatives of the artisanal miners in the different regions of the territory that began two decades of formal mining programs and now reiterated this request.
The Minam environmental specialist, Nancy Chauca, said her industry works with the MEM to promote a clean and responsible mining that promotes the health of workers and the areas where they work.
At the meeting the leaders of the Sonamipe exposed the situation and progress in the formalisation process that have been undertaken with the support of the MEM and international cooperation in the regions of Ica, Ayacucho, Arequipa and Madre de Dios, Puno and Piura (Suyo), mainly.
He also remarked on the efforts to incorporate the most appropriate technologies in their business, especially for the production of organic gold.
With regard to the forms of organisation that are adopting voluntarily, it was revealed that in the Arequipa region operate 13 cooperatives of artisanal miners and many associations have been formed according to law.
Finally, the leaders pledged to continue working with the National Plan for Artisanal implemented since 2002 through the Law of Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in which involved most of the mining associations affiliated to the Sonamipe.