Categories:
General Market Commentary
Topics:
General Market Commentary
Canadian miners want to address declining competitiveness
The Canadian Mineral Industry Federation, the Mining Association of Canada, and the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada issued a brief this month urging provincial, federal and territorial mine ministers to take action to ensure Canada remains a globally competitive jurisdiction and can continue to attract mineral investment.
As the alliance of associations has done in the past two years, the brief proposes a series of recommendations aimed at counteracting global competitive forces and promoting government regulatory, infrastructure and financial support for the sector.
One of the top priorities for the industry isproviding a clear framework for investors. In detail, miners are asking for a strategic review of Canada’s tax regime to make the country more attractive to those funding mineral development projects.
Hand-in-hand with less stringent taxes goes -in industry’s view- appropriate access to prospective lands, sound implementation of the 2019 Federal Impact Assessment Act, and expanded investments in remote and northern infrastructure.
According to the document, Canadian miners would also like for the different levels of government to engage in free trade and investment agreements that open doors for them to export not only their products but also their expertise and business practices.
“Without the vital support of governments to achieve the recommendations by CMIF, Canada’s exploration and mining industry —once envied the world over for its mineral wealth and abundance of exploration and extraction expertise— will continue slipping from its position of dominance,” Felix Lee, president of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, said in a media statement. “As foreign competition soars, we are left chasing countries that once viewed us as the global benchmark. The recommendations, in partnership with the CMMP [Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan], will ensure Canada’s continued success as a leader in exploration and development.”