Business
Haiti drafting new mining legislation: – Prime Minister Lamothe
Haiti Prime Minister.,Laurent Lamothe
The government of Haiti is drafting legislation for the newly emerging mining industry to help this impoverished Caribbean nation reap benefits, the new prime minister said Tuesday.
Laurent Lamothe, who saw his Cabinet and policy plan approved hours earlier, told The Associated Press during an interview that the legislation will be sent to Parliament soon. It will lay out rules apportioning royalties for the government and setting protections for the people and environment that could be affected by mines.
“The most important thing is to have the correct mining law,” he said. “It ensures that the right portion comes to the state. It ensures that the people living in the region where the mines are, that their rights are protected. It ensures environmental protection.”
The plans to draft the mining legislation come after the AP reported that two mining companies have begun drilling in Haiti’s northeastern mountains. The companies say testing indicates the precious metals such as gold, copper and silver is worth potentially US$20 billion.
That would be a boon for Haiti, which is one of the world’s poorest countries.
Until the story, few Haiti citizens knew about the recent efforts to mine their country. Mining camps are unmarked, and the work is being done in remote villages on the opposite side of the country from the capital, Port-au-Prince.
U.S. and Canadian investors have spent more than US$30 million in recent years on exploratory drilling along with camps for workers, new roads, offices and laboratory studies of samples.
