Law No 32 modifying law 55 and 109 of 1973 and law 3 of 1988 to adopt measures to preserve the ecological balance and guarantee the adequate use of mineral resources

In 1996 the Legislative Assembly of Panama passed law No 32 to modify several mining industry regulations. This modification aims to take measures to preserve and protect the environment and guarantee the adequate use of mineral resources. Particularly, this law has the following objectives:

1. Apply measures to preserve the ecological balance and guarantee the use of mineral resources to exploration and extraction activities for non-metallic minerals.
2. Incentivise extraction of rocks, such as, basalts, andesites, granodiorites, and limestone, for use as stones in the construction industry, as a viable environmental mining option. 
3. Establish a Concessions Advisory Commission for the exploration and exploitation of non-metallic minerals. This Commission is an inter-institutional body, and its chair will be the Provincial Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industries. Its members are the mayor of the affected area, a representative of ecologist groups residents in the area of the concession (with legal status), appointed by common agreement between the different organisations, the regional director of the National Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, the provincial director of the Panamanian Institute of Tourism, the provincial director of the National Aqueduct and Sewer Institute and the president of the corresponding municipal council.

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