As B.C.'s government prepares to release the budget February 21, the province's mining industry is calling for key action to support the industry's growth.
Gavin Dirom, president and CEO of the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia, told Business in Vancouver that the industry wants to see the B.C. government:
- develop and implement an effective, efficient, and transparent permitting review process and ensure that government agencies have the resources they need to address permitting and First Nations consultation requirements in a timely manner;
- invest in the BC Geological Survey and provide sufficient funding for regional government geologists to conduct fieldwork programs to improve the public's and industry's understanding of B.C.'s mineral development potential;
- participate in land use and access discussions in the public interest and encourage investment by industry in mineral exploration and development;
- educate and train the next generation of skilled workers by developing innovative programs with high schools, colleges, industry and labour that can successfully recruit and train students and increase efforts to train new Canadians, women, aboriginal people, mature and disabled workers;
- support aboriginal capacity building and economic independence and save the BC Aboriginal Mine Training Association; and
- make mineral exploration tax credits and mining flow-through share programs permanent to encourage companies to explore for more in B.C.
See tomorrow's BIV Business Today for more of B.C. industry's priorities in the budget run-up.
