It’s getting harder to get into the mining business in Canada. That’s the conclusion of a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, a conservative economic think thank based in Calgary. The 42-page report was authored by resident scholar Kenneth Green and senior policy analyst Ashley Stedman, both of the Fraser Institute.
Their report said the issue of permitting times should become more competitive. The report said when jurisdictions are not competitive in the mining permit process there is the potential for reduced investment thus decreasing the chances that a viable ore deposit will be found and developed.
The report said that permitting approval times to develop mining projects over the past 10 years are getting longer, especially in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.
In their 2017 survey, 83% of respondents said permit times were lengthened in Ontario. The rate for B.C. was 73% and the rate for Quebec was 50%. The report also had international comparisons.
“On average, more respondents in the Canadian jurisdictions indicated that permit times were lengthening (over the last ten years) compared to respondents in Australia and Scandinavia,” the report also revealed.
Another significant indicator according to the report was transparency and confidence in whether the permits would actually be issued once all the criteria was met.
For the rest of this article: http://www.timminspress.com/2018/07/24/mine-permitting-process-needs-to-be-competitive-says-fraser-institute