Perceptions of Far North state’s mining policies, mineral potential improve; mixed bag for British Columbia, Canadian territories
Alaska and the Yukon Territory continue to be perceived as among the best places in the world to seek and develop a mine, according to 449 mining executives who responded to the Fraser Institute’s Survey of Mining Companies 2015. This group of miners, explorers and consultants ranked these northern neighbors as two of the richest mineral jurisdictions on Earth, but found certain mining policies in each a cause for concern.
As a result, the mining leaders ranked Alaska sixth and Yukon 12th on the survey’s Investment Attractiveness Index, a measure that weighs miners’ perceptions of both the mineral endowment and mining policies of 109 jurisdictions around the globe.
British Columbia was ranked as the 18th most attractive mining jurisdiction on this encompassing index, up substantially from its 29th ranking a year earlier; Nunavut jumped to 23rd in the most recent survey from 34th a year ago; and Northwest Territories plummeted 20 spots to 35th place on this year’s investment attractiveness index.
Taking high marks for both its mineral potential and mining policies, Western Australia is now viewed as the most attractive place on the planet for mining investment, according to respondents in this year’s Fraser survey.
“Mines have been built from discovery to production faster than anywhere,” a president of a mid-sized development company commented on the permitting process in Western Australia.
Alaska’s PPI improves
Though there is still plenty of room for improvement, Alaska made healthy gains on the “Policy Perception Index” section of the Fraser survey.
Considered a report card on the mining policies of governments, the PPI is a compilation of responses on a broad range of policy topics important to miners.
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