Ecuador's mining ministry has announced a reopening of a new registry of concessions for the first time in seven years in an effort to attract more mining projects and curb illegal operations.
"Mining needs regulation to secure investments and promote development that is responsible with the environment and with communities," Reuters quotes mining minister Ines Manzano as saying.
"We have improved the regulations and will issue guidelines that enable the proper development of the mining value chain."
The registry that existed previously was shut down in 2018 amid concerns of irregularities in the concession system, and no new concessions have been granted since. In late 2024, Ecuador president Daniel Noboa ordered the re-launch of the registry as part of a mining decree that includes actions to stop the spread of illegal gold mining.
The new National Mining Cadastre will consolidate information on mining concessions with transparency and efficiency, Manzano noted. The reopening coincides with new regulations on how to request permits for small-scale, non-metallic mining.
The ministry will open the registry in several phases, beginning with the small-scale non-metallic mining, while the next phase for small-scale metallic mining, will open in September. The registry will open to other types of mining at the start of 2026.
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
