Informal miners currently grouped in associations and cooperatives
The Director General of Mines, Victor Vargas, said that the MEM has prioritized areas Ananea in Puno, Piura Yours in Puerto Maldonado in Madre de Dios for the conclusion, so in these areas the Ministry has decentralized offices.
He said that this ministerial portfolio has been working hard with regional governments to solve the problem of informal mining in the country and in the next two months will be installed decentralized fourth office to be located in Chala, Arequipa. “Our job is not to eradicate informal mining, but formalize and prove that it is an activity compatible with the protection of the environment,” he said.
It also stated that currently is in the process the Support to the regional governments in the formalization process that has a budget of $ 3.4 million for activities of formalization, administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP ). In Peru there are success stories in the process of formalization of artisan mining, including 10 granted under the Mining Cooperatives Ananea town of Puno.
Other successful cases are located on the south coast in which suit well as national environmental standards, they are doing internationally, together with their counterparts from Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia, supported by the Foundation Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM).
Peruvian companies that are part of this important program are: The Society of Mineworkers (SOTRAMI) located in the community of Santa Filomena in the district of Sancos (Lucanas – Ayacucho) and Minera January Aurífera Four (MACDESA) located in the town Four Hours, Chaparra district (Caravelí – Arequipa).
Also, the Community Aurífera Relave (AURELSA) in the district of Pullo, Parinacochas Province (Ayacucho).