The Government of Colombia has proposed a new reform proposal that puts mining at the center of the debate. For a year now, the administration of Gustavo Petro has discussed the need to create a law on mining, which will be presented to the second legislature of the Colombian Congress.
One of the cornerstones of this project is consultation. Precisely, in May of this year, the proposals of more than 1,500 people who met at the first National Mining Summit were collected, where topics such as the challenges of the sector, its modernization for the future, the impact on the environment and dignity answered. .in the work of those who rely on this industry.
Part of the proposals collected at this summit include the recognition of ancestral mining in mining reorganization and planning processes; attention to the lag in territorial planning and the need for a characteristic of the mining population, understanding their differences in the role they play in the industry.
Added to this is a review of current legislation to facilitate better harmonization in the protection of ecosystems, populations and greater legal certainty for miners.
After this dialogue, the mining portfolio announced that the bill will be presented in the second half of 2023. This week, the Minister of Mining and Energy of Colombia, Andrés Camacho, presented some progress on the project.
The five keys to mining law
During the session of the Accidental Commission on Mining in the Senate, the Petro Government presented some improvements to the mining law.
According to the Minister of Mines, the project has five keys:
1. Planning for the use of assets.
2. Modernization of the model.
3. Transit to a productive economy.
4. Protection of artisanal and small-scale mining.
5. Creation of geoscientific knowledge.
This bill will also include the update of the mining cadastre, as well as its coordination with the multipurpose cadastre.
It should be noted that, in April of this year, the Government of Colombia rejected the possibility of reforming the Mining Code. However, progress can be made with a mining law whose document will be submitted to the Congress of the Republic in the coming days.
