VHeadline Venezuela News reports: Venezuela's Mining Chamber (Camiven) has unequivocally denounced the enforced paralyzation of the Las Cristinas and Las Brisas del Cuyuni gold mining projects in southeastern Bolivar State. Writing in Sunday's edition of the national broadsheet El Universal, journalist Mariel Leon reports that since the Environment Ministry (Minamb) revoked environmental permits in April this year, any progress on either project has been put on hold.

Camiven president Gilberto Sanchez says that in 2002 the Venezuelan government awarded a contract to operate Las Cristinas, and that Las Brisas del Cuyuni is subject to a mining concession awarded some thirteen years ago ... "both projects are paralyzed, not knowing what will ultimately happen ... yet they have already committed and disbursed US$350 million out of a total planned investment in excess of $1 billion."

But signal from the Environment Ministry have a completely opposite meaning to the government's aim of fostering "harmonious and sustainable development of the sector, implementing health & safety standards with the development of new deposits and, of course, the projects that were already approved, and which comply with all current legislation."

Attending last week's annual conference of the Venezuelan Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Fedecamaras) in Maracaino, Camiven's Sanchez highlights "conflicts of competence between the Ministry of Basic Industries & Mining (Mibam) and the Environment Ministry (MinAmb) over who deals with what ... inevitably causing situations which unnecessarily duplicate regulations, standards, taxation and permitting.

Fedecamaras has also highlighted a "lack of consultation" between MinAmb and Mibam which "hinders the development of the mining industry and resolution of conflicts."

Sanchez insists that differences between the mining companies and their workers must be resolved by competent bodies ... "there needs to be a revision of attitudes with different incentives to avoid the necessity of government intervention in private businesses ... there must be a continuing dialogue between government, businesses and the workers." Ownership structures such as those already established in the Venezuelan oil industry are not applicable to the mining sector, Sanchez adds, because of the simple economics of these projects, the risks and the very nature of mining ... "essentially, it does not lead to sustainable development."

The government's proposal to involve the private sector in mining and quarrying exclusively through the creation of "socialist" joint ventures does not jive with the particular dynamics of the mining sector ... "it is not necessary to create a new Law on Mines, application of the one we have is sufficient!"