Cámara Minera de Panamá (CAMPIRA), or The Mining Chamber of Panama, brings together companies, shareholders, and suppliers throughout the metallic mineral and non-metallic sectors in Panama, to promote the country’s mining industry towards social, economic, and environmental success. CAMPIRA is critically concerned with promoting the mining industry towards sustainable development, by working with mining companies to ensure the efficient and responsible use of mineral resources in the country. CAMPIRA want to develop the economy, and Panama’s stake in the world of mining development, however, is critically aware that this kind of development can only take place sustainably. Therefore, CAMPIRA facilitates the sustainable economic development of Panama through a range of practices and standards to benefit the country with the economic profitability of sustainable mining.
Panama is home to an abundance of mineral resources due to its geographical location, with key copper and gold mineral deposits. The country is currently only home to one operational metal mine, Cobre Panama, which is world-renowned for its metal production and so has a significant impact on the economy of Panama. CAMPIRA sees Panama as a key place of development, which has already seen key success in the service sector, and so believes that with such a rich mineral resource the country can take advantage of the opportunity that mining presents the country. CAMPIRA believes that mining can close the productivity gap, promote entrepreneurship, and bring new innovation to the country through new mining projects.
CAMPIRA has been bringing together the public, private and social players in the mining sectors since 1990, to reduce the risks associated with mining, chiefly concerning the environment, whilst enhancing the benefits generated by mining activity. The benefits of mining, particularly in Panama, are positive fiscal developments and the creation of many high-quality jobs to bring economic success both locally to those working at the mines and nationally across Panama by reinforcing the economy. Furthermore, as Panama is located next to the sea on both sides it makes it an ideal candidate for mining metal exports, and so the development of mining in this region will benefit Panama’s economy even further as it can easily export the mined material out of the country.
Consequently, CAMPIRA is working on a project to bring together companies relating to mining, to bring a united learning environment and communication to develop the mining industry in Panama towards global success. The companies include those involved in inputs, machinery, engineering, processing, by-products and copper products to ensure that throughout the supply chain from mined minerals to end products the companies across Panama’s mining sector are working as one fluid machine. The Cobre Panama mine makes a perfect example of the opportunities that can be seen economically, as by consolidating the mining industry into mining clusters, it can promote the development of local suppliers, demand for human capital and infrastructure. Therefore, through CAMPIRA’s work, it is promoting the development of new mining projects to bring strong investment into Panama’s mining sector.
Currently, the metallic mining sector is contributing toward institutional development, with the adoption of better standards and practices. These standards and practices can then positively impact the non-metallic industry that CAMPIRA is hoping to develop in the country. Consequently, every development and project that CAMPIRA is working on helps to open a new path of shared success in the country at both a national and community level. Ultimately, the development that CAMPIRA is hoping to see from the mining industry in Panama will contribute significantly towards the sustainable development of the country and its social, environmental, and institutional dimensions.
Overall, CAMPIRA is working to promote the best practices and standards across the sector to ensure that the mining industry is contributing toward the country’s environmental and economic development. CAMPIRA strongly believes that communication across the industry is the best way to promote its development, as this communication can reduce the risks facing the industry whilst enhancing the benefits of shared knowledge across the sector. Furthermore, through CAMPIRA’s aim to bring together all those involved in Panama’s rich mining industry, it can continue to make efficient and responsible use of the natural resource at their disposal. Therefore, as an organising body, CAMPIRA is keenly concerned with the environmental impact that mining has on the world but is working to ensure that operations across the industry are working in the most sustainable and responsible way possible towards the expanding future of Panama’s mining industry.
