Peru's Congress has approved a six-month extension to a scheme that grants temporary permits to small-scale informal miners, reported Reuters.
The decision aims to allow small-scale informal miners to continue operations while they seek formalisation.
The extension pertains to the REINFO registry, which has been subject to multiple extensions in the past and is set to expire on 31 December 2024.
The Energy and Mining Legislative Committee had proposed the bill earlier. It has now been approved by the Congress.
However, this resolution provides a one-time extension for the temporary permits.
The government supports ending the registry, citing over a decade of misuse that has fuelled illegal mining.
Last year, Peru reported production of 99.7 million grams of gold, an increase of 2.8% year-on-year, Reuters reported.
According to the government, small artisanal mines extract around 40% of that, but small-scale mining groups put the figure at 50%.
In September 2024, Cerro de Pasco Resources (CDPR) agreed to offload its Santander zinc-lead-silver mine in Peru to FIC03, a Peruvian investment company controlled by Finanzas e Inversiones Corporativas (FIC).
The mine’s assets feature a 2,500 tonnes per day sulphide milling and flotation plant.
CDPR’s consolidated mine plan for the Santander mine includes the current resource at Magistral and all known resources at the Santander Pipe.
