Brazil news
Brazil to focus on measures to modernize mining industry BnamericasPublished: Tuesday, March 09, 2021 CommoditiesLicensing & ConcessionsLegislation & RegulationRegulator The Brazilian government and mining regulatory officials underlined that they will be focused this year on implementing new rules and procedures to bring the sector more in line withglobal standards. "The Brazilian government remains committed to the necessary reforms to guarantee legal security, transparency and predictability. In the mineral sector, especially, new and lasting investment opportunities are opening up in the country," Alexandre Vidigal, secretary of geology and mining at the mines and energy ministry, said during a panel on Brazils mining sector during the PDACannual convention. Vidigals remarks come a few days afterEduardo Leo, one of five directors of Brazilian mining regulator ANM, resigned, mainly because of pushback against plans to lower barriers to enter the sector and combat illegal mining. ANM was created in 2017 and falls under the mines and energy ministry. During the presentation, ANM director Dbora Puccini said the agencys regulatory agenda for 2021 will be focused on reducing bureaucracy, reforming frameworks and eliminating obsolete laws, in addition to joint efforts with the federal police to combat illegal mining. "We are looking for integration with the modern and globalized world, to be more connected with other global agencies to absorb new practices in the search for a more modern Brazilian mining market," said Puccini. The government wants to send a message of less intervention in the mining sector, since the sector was resilient last year in the face of the pandemic, a factor that helped Brazil register lower than projectedGDPcontraction. "The mining industry stood out in 2020 as an instrument for the recovery of the Brazilian economy, despite the particularly challenging environment," mines and energy minister Bento Albuquerque said during the presentation. "In Brazil, the mining sector experienced the best performance in the context of the pandemic compared to all other productive sectors."