Although for the head of the industrial chamber this applies “in all aspects of investment”, in this case it acquires more importance because lithium is part of “the great opportunities of Argentina”, which together with the rest of mining has “a phenomenal horizon,” he said.
The exports of this mineral accumulate US$ 593 million between January and November, and although the data for December is missing, from the Ministry of Economy they anticipate that the year will close with a record, close to US$700 million. Although in tons (accumulate 27,500) the volume is similar to 2021, “the significant rise in prices leads to a growth in exported value of more than 220%”, according to a report from the Rosario Stock Exchange.
In this sense, Funes de Rioja explained that there are already “two lithium exploitations that are yielding US$700 million of exports per year and create 8,000 jobs“, in addition to “an important series” of projects in the works.
“What do we want? What do they stop? What is the time for lithium?”, asked the head of the UIA, and warned that “if one suddenly changes the rules of the game, what is generated is a retraction not only with respect to La Rioja but in the entire universe of possible exploitations”.
Provincial Law 10,608, sanctioned on December 15 by the La Rioja Chamber of Deputies but not yet promulgated, suspends for 120 days the granted exploration and concession permits related to this mineral.
Until now There are no lithium projects or mines in the provincesince its presence still needs to be explored.
The Governor of La Rioja, Ricardo Quinteladefended the enactment of the Law, pointing out that in this way the exploitation permits return to the province and that, later, companies will be invited to invest but “as long as it is convenient for the people of La Rioja, for La Rioja, for the country and for the companies too.”
The objective of the provincial president is that the mining companies “do not take the wealth of our country” and that lithium “returns as a finished product”, according to what he stated.
“It’s an act of political intervention and what this act constitutes is a piece of uncertainty when what we need in this matter is the opposite,” the UIA headline criticized in this regard.
In this sense, he added: “In any case, if things have to be adjusted, it is by sitting at a table first and not leaving everything on hold, creating precarious conditions and an absolute lack of confidence in the rules of the game. That is not good for Argentina”.
“We need policies that generate confidence for investment and growth,” reiterated the business leader.
Although he considered that up to now La Rioja “does not have such relative importance in the lithium issue”; he stated that “the foreign investor looks at all the details and obviously looks at the legal aspects and, for them, these signs are bad.”
Source: Ambito
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