(pretty bad when I can't spell Marla).... 

"Our impression was that the Ecuadorian government was leaning toward a more straightforward royalty for mining. They are still researching the economics of mining and how it differs from oil & gas. I doubt that they have settled on a definitive structure yet.

We have spoken to the reporter and this article is based on the draft tax bill that is being put forward to the assembly. In it, the government is looking to set up a 70% tax on extraordinary profits on natural resources (it does not mention mining specifically). This tax would apply only to companies that have contracts in place with the government such as the oil companies do. 

This treatment would be very unusual in the mining world as right now we are only aware of one country in the world that has a windfall tax on mining."

safeharbour