Minister Prokurica inaugurates Chilean pavilion at world's most important mining convention with important news
The Minister and the Chilean delegation discussed the surprises that Chile is unveiling at the latest PDAC convention, including a book that describes 40 projects mainly involving on copper and gold and –for the first time- a titanium initiative.
Mining Minister Baldo Prokurica is leading the Chilean delegation visiting the international convention organized by the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada in Toronto, which continues until March 4. The goal is to position Chile as an attractive destination for mining investments at the event, which is one of the most important mining industry meetings in the world.
The Minister was accompanied by representatives of Enami, Sernageomin, Sonami, ProChile and InvestChile. On Sunday, they inaugurated the Chilean pavilion, which will showcase the country’s attributes in an effort to attract mining investments.
At the opening ceremony, Minister Prokurica stressed "the importance of mining for development, for generating employment and for eliminating poverty. Forty years ago, 40% of the Chilean population was living under the poverty line. Today that number stands at 8.3%, and half of the families who escaped poverty did so because of Chilean mining companies. So I want to repeat a phrase that is not my own: our people should not suffer from poverty on the earth while there is wealth underground.”
He added, "Chile is an attractive destination because of our strategic position and geological potential. We also have a pro-investment and pro-employment government and an excellent professional and technical structure under the Piñera administration’s policies and programs. This administration has positioned mining as a driver of development, employment and opportunities for Chilean families. In addition, we have a strong portfolio of mining investments totaling over US$72.503 billion for the next 10 years, which is 10.3% more than was forecast for 2018."
The Minister also revealed mining news that Chile wants to share with the whole world. "We arrived with good news because the Chilean exploration budget grew by 13% compared to the previous year, representing growth of around US$77 million, despite some people predicting that it would not grow that much," Minister Prokurica explained.
The Minister also mentioned the second edition of a book prepared by the Mining Ministry called “Chile: A leader in metals that facilitate the future.” The digital edition is available at the website www.minmineria.gob.cl. It describes a portfolio of 40 projects, 25% more than the previous edition, with 34 of them at the exploration stage and six at the pre-mining development stage. "This administration promotes mining investment initiatives because we are aware that our country is a great provider of natural resources for future technologies and electromobility. Therefore, we have a wonderful opportunity to generate more employment and development, provided we can ascend in the value chain," said the Mining Minister.
Finally, he referred to a series meetings with officials from other countries to strengthen bilateral ties and with executives and board members of foreign mining companies to show the world that the technological planet we know today could not exist without mining.