The event towards Perumin – Arequipaorganized by the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru (IIMP), brought together representatives of the private sector who coincided in a common message: formal mining, well managed and committed to the environment, is essential for the development of Arequipa and the country.
During the space, Julia Torreblanca, president of Corporate Affairs of Minera Cerro Verde, stressed that Arequipa is currently the region with the highest formal mining employment in the country, with more than 39,000 workers on the payroll, which represents 15.4 % of the national total.
He announced that since 2023, Cerro Verde has promoted seven projects under the mechanism of taxes for taxes, focused on education and road infrastructure, including the improvement of faculties at the National University of San Agustín (UNSA).
In this regard, he said: “This shows us that it is possible to work in an articulated way between the public and private sector, always for the benefit of the entire population. To make this sustainable, we need responsible investment and the correct compliance with the payment of taxes.”
Torreblanca also warned about the progress of illegal mining, which already represents 40 % of the country’s gold exports, generating an estimated fiscal loss in S/ 22,000 million annually, according to the Peruvian Institute of Economics. In that context, he supported the need for a new law of artisanal and small -scale mining (MAPE) that allows formalizing with clear rules, technical approach and respect for fundamental rights.
From the regional business, Carlos Enrique Fernández, president of the Arequipa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, supported this approach and recalled that mining today represents 32 % of the regional GDP.
“We hope that Arequipa can recover 38 % of the regional GDP with a greater mining investment in the coming years. From the business sector, we support the investment, but we also call on mining companies to strengthen their commitment to local suppliers,” he said.
Fernández remarked that the Chamber of Commerce supports only serious and responsible investments, and reiterated its rejection of any form of illegal mining. In that line, he called on the authorities to guarantee respect for free traffic, in reference to the recent blockages that have been affecting the regional economy.
Both spokesmen agreed that the integral development of Arequipa demands a greater articulation between the State, the private sector and civil society. In that sense, they valued spaces such as the next Mining Convention Perumin 37, which promote technical dialogue, generation of consensus and a country vision focused on everyone’s well -being.
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