UK

Andy Burnham floats overhauling inheritance tax and a basic income

TO THE LEFT OF SIR KEIR

Katie Neame

© R Heilig/Shutterstock.com

Andy Burnham has said “there is an argument for a basic income” and proposed overhauling inheritance tax to fund a National Care Service, declaring that a “much fairer, more equal society” could be created if public money were spent differently.

Speaking to the New Statesman’s Path to Power conference this morning, the Greater Manchester mayor said Labour has to start discussing “how are we going to get the investment upfront to start rebuilding”, warning that it will not be possible “not to raise the issue of tax”.

He argued that the public are “ready to be given a sophisticated argument” about where things may need to change, discussing changes including revaluing the council tax system and introducing tourist taxes.

Asked specifically what a Labour government should do for local government funding, Burnham also proposed funding a National Care Service through replacing inheritance tax with a “care levy” that everyone would pay, with the wealthiest contributing the most.

The Labour mayor also called for the country to emulate Finland by following a “national housing first philosophy”, telling attendees: “I am really clear that we could achieve a much fairer, more equal society if we prioritise things differently and spend public money differently and particularly prioritise housing.”

Burnham argued that, “if you set people up to succeed through giving them security, in terms of their finances and their housing, they will succeed”, adding: “There is an argument for a basic income as far as I’m concerned.”

The mayor also urged Labour to pursue radical constitutional reform in government, arguing that the party “should have rewired the country in ’97” but only did “half a job”. He claimed that the ongoing Covid inquiry demonstrates the “complete inadequacy” of how the country is currently governed.

He reiterated his support for the introduction of proportional representation, as well as backing other reforms including an elected senate of the nations and regions, arguing that such changes would set the country up for a “progressive century”.

The Labour mayor said he and the party’s other mayors are “100% behind Keir and the shadow cabinet” but added that sometimes they have to take “a different perspective” in the interest of their local areas.

Burnham told attendees that 2024 could be a “better moment” than Labour’s landslide victory in 1997, arguing that the country has new infrastructure to deliver in the regions that it did not previously have.

Highlighting the changes that have been achieved in Manchester in recent years, Burnham argued that the city has not seen the “full-fat, ‘levelling up’ of the kind that Boris Johnson lied to us about”.

But he added: “We’re doing something. We just wait for a Labour government to really get behind us and really get it going. Because we are really ready to go.”

He told attendees that “big things” could be done in a single parliament, adding: “If we get at it on the front foot and go quickly, I think we could show real change very quickly, because of the work we’ve done to get ready for levelling up. They never did it, but now we’re ready to work with a Labour government.”

Impala Platinum Halts Some South African Mines After 11 Workers Died


A sign showing the entrance to Shaft 11 at Impala Platinum Mine is pictured in Rustenburg, South Africa, November 28, 2023. 

REUTERS/Sumaya HishamREUTERS

By Felix Njini

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Impala Platinum on Tuesday temporarily halted operations at its Rustenburg mining complex in South Africa after 11 workers died and 75 were injured in what the CEO said was "the darkest day" in the company's history.

Impala said in a statement that workers were being brought to the surface at the end of their shift on Monday when the conveyance system that carries workers up and down an underground shaft 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) deep started a rapid descent.

The Johannesburg-based platinum miner said 86 workers were involved in the incident at its No. 11 shaft. The injured were admitted to four hospitals in the area, and a company spokesperson said medical physicians had classified 14 workers in the hospital as "high priority".

"Today is the darkest day in the history of Impala and our hearts are heavy for the lives lost and the individuals affected by this devastating incident," CEO Nico Muller said in a statement.

Muller said at a media briefing the conveyance system had been tested prior to being used, and indications were the core systems were active and operational.

"An investigation has to lead us to understand how, with a positive signal on the safety systems, you still have an incident where a conveyance starts gravitating to the bottom and then gets into uncontrollable descent," Muller said.

All mining operations at the Rustenburg complex in South Africa's North West province were suspended on Tuesday. The halt could be extended to Wednesday to allow the company to "mourn and heal emotionally", Impala spokesperson Johan Theron said.

He also said investigations into the cause of the accident had begun.

Impala's shares in Johannesburg were down 8% at 1335 GMT.

South Africa has some of the world's deepest, oldest and most costly platinum and gold mining shafts.

The deaths at Rustenburg add to the 41 fatalities that had been recorded in South Africa's mining industry this year so far.

Last year 49 workers died in South Africa's mines, which was the lowest number of fatalities to date, the industry lobby group Minerals Council South Africa said.

Spokesperson Theron said he could not be precise about the impact of the stoppage on Impala's metals output.

"It's impossible to quantify the impact on production save to say No. 11 shaft on its own is a very large complex and contributes roughly 15% of Impala Rustenburg's production," Theron said.

"To the extent that it's stopped for any length of time, it will have a corresponding impact on the entire company."

The affected shaft could take longer to re-open as authorities and the company need to conduct thorough investigations, Mandi Dungwa, an analyst at Camissa Asset Management, said.

"This looks like a mechanical failure so it may take time for the investigations to be concluded," Dungwa told Reuters. "However long it's going to be closed, it will have an impact on production, and on costs."

(Reporting by Felix Njini and Nelson Banya; Editing by Kim Coghill, Jamie Freed, Louise Heavens, Barbara Lewis and Jan Harvey)

11 miners killed, 75 hurt in lift accident at Implats shaft in North West

Mining company has been focusing on improving safety at its operations

28 November 2023 - 
Shonisani TshikalangeReporter


Implats has confirmed a fatal accident at its Rustenburg shaft. Stock photo.
Image: 123RF/Martin Bergsma

Eleven miners from Impala Platinum (Implats) were killed in Rustenburg in the North West on Monday in an accident involving the conveyance transporting them to the surface from underground.

Another 75 employees were injured in the accident. With the help of the proto teams and paramedics they were transferred to four hospitals in the region.

The accident happened shortly before 5pm.

“The 11 Shaft personnel conveyance was hoisting employees to surface at the end of their shift. At 4.54pm, the conveyance unexpectedly started descending. It’s rapid descent was stopped by the conveyance counterweight becoming trapped by the jack catches,” Implats said.

All mining operations at Impala Rustenburg were suspended on Tuesday.

“This is the darkest day in the history of Implats and our hearts are heavy for the lives lost and the individuals affected by this devastating accident,” Implats CEO Nico Muller said.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by the loss of our colleagues and are in the process of ensuring all next of kin have been contacted. Implats is offering ongoing support to the families and colleagues of those lost in service. We also hold our injured colleagues in our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time.”

National Union of Metalworkers general secretary Irvin Jim said they were “deeply concerned at the shocking loss of life”.

“We have dispatched our officials on the ground in Rustenburg to get more information on the incident. We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends who lost loved ones in this terrible incident.”

Implats said investigations into the cause of the accident had commenced.

The group suffered five fatalities in the latest financial year and one at a jointly managed venture, it disclosed in August, compared with seven the previous year.

Presenting the company's full-year financial results in August, Muller said the group remained committed to improving safety.


“All safety metrics improved in the period, benefiting from a focus on fatal risk control protocols, risk control management using leading indicators, visible leadership and mine-safety discipline. However, the group regrettably reported five employee fatalities at managed operations during the period (FY2022: seven), and one at a joint venture operation, Two Rivers.

“After investigations in each case, the group renewed its focus on targeted safety interventions, adopted leading practices related to fall-of-ground incidents, further embedded critical controls and intensified employee engagement on safety adherence.”

During the 12 months to end-June 2023, the group’s fatal-injury frequency rate improved by 29% from the year before, the lost-time injury frequency rate improved by 7% and the all-injury frequency rate by 5%. It said notable improvements in safety had been recorded at Impala Rustenburg, which achieved a lost-time injury frequency rate of 4.71 for the year — the lowest reported in 13 years.

By year-end, it said, 13 of the group’s 18 operations had achieved “millionaire or multimillionaire status” in terms of fatality-free shifts.

Biden criticizes US companies for keeping raised prices high 'even as inflation has come down'

HEY JOE,CAPITALI$M IS PRICE GOUGING

Associated Press
Nov 28, 2023,

President Joe Biden opened the first meeting of his new supply chain resilience council by warning companies against price gouging. Andrew Harnik/AP


President Biden criticized companies that have failed to bring prices down even as inflation eases.
He accused companies that take advantage of inflation to boost profits of price gouging.
The White House has blamed inflation on issues like supply chain disruptions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.


President Joe Biden on Monday opened the first meeting of his supply chain resilience council by warning companies against price gouging and saying that his administration was working to lower costs for U.S. families.

"We know that prices are still too high for too many things, that times are still too tough for too many families," Biden said. "But we've made progress, but we have more work to do."

The president then issued a direct warning to companies: "Let me be clear: To any corporation that has not brought their prices back down — even as inflation has come down, even supply chains have been rebuilt — it's time to stop the price gouging — giving the American consumer a break."

The president has blamed inflation on issues such as supply chain disruptions and Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, while Republican lawmakers say the run-up in prices was triggered by the $1.9 trillion in coronavirus relief that Democrat Biden signed into law in 2021.

Biden used the council meeting to announce 30 actions to improve access to medicine and needed economic data as well as other programs tied to the production and shipment of goods.

He said he was tackling "junk fees," hidden charges that companies sneak into bills just because they can and customers have no alternative.

The council follows an earlier task force that was meant to address the supply chain problems that partially fueled higher inflation in 2021 as the United States recovered from the coronavirus pandemic.

Inflation remains a sore point for Biden's approval ratings ahead of next year's presidential election. After the annualized increase in the consumer price index peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, inflation has eased to a moderate 3.2%. The slowdown has not so far improved U.S. adults' feelings about the economy.

Biden said GOP policies would leave supply chains vulnerable, claiming that Republicans want to cut investments he has made in infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. The president also said companies that are taking advantage of inflation to boost profits are "price gouging."

Among the 30 new actions, Biden will use the Defense Production Act to have the Health and Human Services Department invest in the domestic manufacturing of needed medicines that are deemed crucial for national security. The Cabinet agency has identified $35 million to invest in the production of materials for injectable medicines.

The federal government will also improve its ability to monitor supply chains through the sharing of data among agencies. The Commerce Department has developed new tools to assess risks to the supply chain and has partnered with the Energy Department on the supply of renewable energy resources. Shipping companies are beginning to use new data resources from the Transportation Department on freight logistics.

The supply chain group is co-chaired by Lael Brainard, the White House National Economic Council director, and Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser. Other members include heads of Cabinet departments, the U.S. trade representative, the chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and the directors of National 

Intelligence, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

FASCIST REVANCHISM AGAINST MAOIST STATE

In Nepal’s Capital, Protesters Call for Return to Monarchy, Hindu State


The violent clashes that followed drew attention to long-standing discontent with Nepal’s current governance system.

By Prakash Neupane
November 29, 2023

Credit: Depositphotos


On November 23, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, calling for the restoration of the monarchy and the country’s prior position as an officially Hindu state (currently, Nepal’s constitution defines the country as a secular state). Supporters of the “citizen’s movement to protect the nation, nationalism, religion, and culture” gathered on the outskirts of Kathmandu and attempted to march into the city’s center carrying Nepali flags and chanting slogans in support of former King Gyanendra.

To stop the march, police used water cannons and tear gas and beat demonstrators with batons. Both sides suffered minor injuries. Authorities had prohibited protests in various districts of Kathmandu before the gathering, which was attended by followers of the former king from around the country.

The abolition of Nepal’s centuries-old monarchy in 2008 marked a significant turning point in the nation’s history. Intense, weeks-long street protests in 2006 compelled then-King Gyanendra to relinquish his authoritarian rule and usher in the era of democracy. Two years later, the monarchy was officially abolished, reshaping Nepal’s political landscape.

Following this transformative shift, King Gyanendra found himself navigating life as a private citizen. Despite the loss of his regal status, he has managed to maintain a degree of support among the populace. However, the prospects of him reclaiming the throne remain minimal, given the altered political landscape and the prevailing sentiment in favor of democratic governance.

In 2007, Nepal underwent another pivotal change when it was declared a secular state through an interim constitution. This move reflected a commitment to religious neutrality and the recognition of diverse faiths within the country. The declaration of secularism was emblematic of Nepal’s pursuit of a more inclusive and pluralistic society. However, more than 80 percent of Nepalis are Hindu, and many believe their country should embrace an officially Hindu identity at the state level.

The protesters expressed their dissatisfaction with national governance since the monarchy was abolished and their desire for a change in the political system. They accused the government and political parties of corruption and failed governance. They demanded the reinstatement of the monarchy and the establishment of Nepal as a Hindu state.

The youth, in particular, have become disillusioned with democracy and political parties. Nepal’s ruling party has been unpopular as of late as they are embroiled in inter-party fighting and corruption. To many Nepalis, their government’s failure to control the pandemic was a particularly poignant demonstration of the political establishment’s ineptitude. The role of youth in the protest movement was highlighted by the widespread use of social media to mobilize support for their cause.

The movement to restore the monarchy and reestablish Nepal as a Hindu state reflects this political landscape and the deep-rooted sentiments of a significant portion of the population. The protests have brought to the forefront the ongoing debate about the country’s political system and the role of the monarchy in Nepal’s governance. The clashes between protesters and police in Kathmandu have drawn attention to the complex dynamics of governance, identity, and political representation in Nepal, signaling a significant moment in the country’s ongoing political evolution.

 

Report: Chinese Police Kill Dissident Journalist

• Published: 28 November 2023
• • WRITTEN BY ERIKA DI BENEDETTO

A group of police officers in China beat freelance Chinese journalist Sun Lin so badly in his home on Nov. 17 that he died hours later, as reported by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Nov. 21.

Chinese journalist, Sun Lin. (Photo: IFJ Asia-Pacific/X, License)Sun Lin, a former citizen journalist for networks like the US-based Boxun News Network, was widely recognized for his investigative reporting on human rights violations and for his advocacy work. He was nearly 70 years old, according to Radio Free Asia (RSF).

Witnesses in the neighborhood reported hearing a commotionbetween the journalist, who also went by the pen name 'Jie Mu,' and the national security officers during the early afternoon of Nov. 17.

Sun was subsequently rushed to the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital between 2:30 p.m.and 3 p.m., where he was pronounced dead at 5:45 p.m, as stated by The International Federation of Journalists.

Radio Free Asia described the severity of Sun's injuries, particularly to his head, and the state of his torn clothing.

Sun’s relatives were denied access to his body even three days after his passing.

Doctors at the hospital confirmed that his clothes were torn and in disarray when he arrived.

Additionally, the local National Security Bureau allegedly intimidated Sun's family and friends, warning them against discussing his death or engaging in any public mourning activities, as stated by RSF.

“This gruesome murder is a direct consequence of the Chinese regime’s paranoia, which leads its leaders to see an enemy of the state in every independent media or journalist, and therefore exposes them to systematic retribution,” said Cédric Alviani, RSF Asia-Pacific Bureau Director. “We urge the international community to build up pressure on the regime for it to end its relentless attacks against press freedom and the right to information.”

The reason behind the raid remains uncertain. However, earlier in November, law enforcement agencies in Nanjing and Wuhan had confiscated a new book written by Sun, which he had sent to a friend residing in Wuhan.

Additionally, the news website Weiquanwang suggests that the raid might be linked to videos shared by Sun on social media, featuring protests against Chinese leader Xi Jinping during his recent participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum held in San Francisco.

Sun Lin had previously served a four-year term in 2008 for his coverage of forced evictions and his efforts to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Additionally, in December 2018, he was sentenced to four years on charges of "inciting subversion of state power" in Nanjing after taking photographs outside the trial of a human rights activist and sharing pro-democracy messages on social media. He was released in 2022.

According to RSF, over the past few years, numerous journalists and advocates for press freedom have been killed as they opposed the Chinese government's propaganda.

China is ranked 179th out of 180 countries in the 2023 RSF World Press Freedom Index (North Korea ranks dead last). With 123 journalists and press freedom defenders currently in prison, China is the top jailer of journalists in the world.

Some Russians Still Deeply Divided by Civil War of a Century Ago, Memorials Conflict Shows

MAKHNOVICHNA BATTLE BANNER

NESTOR MAKHNO
 UKRAINIAN ANARCHIST 

 

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Nov. 25 – A serious conflict has broken out in Rostov-na-Donu over a memorial bust of Baron Wrangel, a leader of the anti-Bolshevik forces in South Russia during the Russian Civil War, with monarchists praising him and defending the bust and communists denouncing him and demanding the memorial be taken down.

            What is most striking about this is that both sides present their positions as reflecting Kremlin policy and discuss the future of the bust in terms of Moscow’s current military campaign in Ukraine  (kavkazr.com/a/neokonchennaya-voyna-pamyati-kak-pamyatnik-vrangelyu-raskolol-rostov/32700233.html).

            But lest this fight, which close observers say, is really a struggle between two small groups rather than a division in the population at large, the Kremlin has restricted coverage in all-Russian media of this debate lest it exacerbate tensions and highlight the internally contradictory nature of Putin’s belief in “a single stream” of Russian history.

            Russian political scientist Dmitry Dubrovsky says that “Putin has demonstrated that his sympathies are on the side of the white movement and the emperor and not the revolutionaries.” But at the same time, aware of how that might disturb Russians, he has not expressed himself forcefully and consistently on these issues, thus creating an opening for debate.’

            Memorial historian Andrey Petropavlov says that another factor is at work: Moscow can reasonably distance itself from Wrangel because the divide over the civil war is about the war over all rather than about individual personalities. They can be treated in various ways as the Kremlin struggles to define itself on an issue that still divides the population.

‘           What is taking place in Rostov, he continues, is “an example of an unfinished war of memory in which the Civil War continues in the thoughts” of Russians, a war that will continue as long as the government fails to putout a clear vision of the events of those years and the individuals involved.

            That hasn’t happened, Petropavlov says. The new Medinsky history textbook, for example, refers to Wrangel only once even though it gives more extensive treatment to Yudenich and Chapayev, neither of whom played as important an historical role.

 

Putin stresses establishment of sovereign Palestinian state

TEHRAN, Nov. 28 (MNA) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a message to Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud Abbas that the key to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the creation of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders.

"It is in this (the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state within the 1967 borders) that we see the key condition for achieving a comprehensive, long-term and just Palestinian-Israeli settlement," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov read out the Russian president's message to Abbas at an event marking the Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at the Palestinian Embassy in Russia, Sputnik reported.

In the text of the telegram published on the Kremlin's website, Putin stressed that "now, when the bloody conflict is bringing untold suffering to the peaceful population of Palestine, I consider it particularly important to reaffirm Russia's consistent position in favor of the realization of the legitimate rights of your people to establish their own sovereign state within the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem (Quds) as its capital."

The Israeli regime unleashed a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 in response to the besieged territory-based Resistance groups' Operation al-Aqsa Storm into the occupied territories.

The latest aggression against Gaza killed nearly 15,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of whom are women and children.

MNA

Putin takes aim at West’s “AI monopoly”

November 28, 2023

Scott Nover

President Vladimir Putin on Friday warned that the West should not be allowed to develop a monopoly in the sphere of artificial intelligence and said that a much more ambitious Russian strategy for the development of AI would be approved shortly.

 Reuters

Vladimir Putin wants Russia to rival the West on AI development. On Friday at the Artificial Intelligence Journey conference in Moscow, the Russian president vowed to sign off on a new AI strategy, which would see his government pour money into supercomputers and educational initiatives. Moscow’s strategy would focus on generative AI and large language models, a field dominated by American firms such as Google and OpenAI.

Putin’s speech was both a statement of intent and a critique of the West’s dominance of modern technology. “Monopolistic dominance of such foreign technology in Russia is unacceptable, dangerous, and inadmissible,” Putin said, noting that “monopoly and domination” of AI by foreign powers is “unacceptable and dangerous.”

Russia is lagging in the AI race. By one count of “significant machine learning systems” cited by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI, the US leads the world with 16 such systems, followed by the UK with eight, and China with three. Russia, meanwhile, has just one.

Russia has its own AI chatbots hoping to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT, such as GigaChat from the state-owned financial services company Sberbank. But Moscow has meddled in the affairs of its private technology firms, including Yandex, the so-called “Google of Russia,” for its namesake search engine. Yandex, now owned by a Dutch holding company, is in the process of divesting from its Russian assets after clashing with Moscow’s censors. With Yandex largely left out of Moscow’s AI planning due to deep-seated distrust, Russia has funneled its AI ambitions through state-owned firms like Sberbank and made limited progress in jumpstarting its domestic AI development.

Moscow may be serious about funding AI development, but that would require Putin to loosen his chokehold on Russian industry – which is about as likely as him sharing eggnog with Zelensky this Christmas.

World Federation of Trade Unions sets Nov. 29 as global Palestine solidarity day

November 28, 2023  

 BY SPECIAL TO PEOPLE’S WORLD

ATHENS—In response to Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) has called for international action by the labor movement worldwide on Nov. 29. The date coincides with the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

“The ongoing bloodshed has been going on and escalating since Oct. 7 and has already resulted in thousands of people losing their lives and many more injured,” said the WFTU Secretariat. “It makes the need to intensify our actions of solidarity with the struggling Palestinian people more urgent than ever before.”

The federation notes that the massacre in Palestine includes the bombing of hospitals and the killing of a child every 10 minutes, which it calls “crimes which are committed with the provocative tolerance and support that Israel receives from the USA, the European Union, and the rest of their allies.”

The WFTU has long stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people and understands that the root cause of the current crisis is Israel’s occupation and illegal settlement of the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as the continuous aggressions and blockades which Israel has imposed on the Palestinian people for decades.

Its statement continued:

“The consistent and principled support and solidarity to the heroic Palestinian people has always been a priority for the international class-oriented trade union movement. It is clear that the only way to secure and consolidate peace and security for the people in Palestine and Israel, but also in the wider Middle East, is to immediately end the Israeli occupation and settlement in the occupied Arab territories, as provided for in U.N. resolutions, and to establish an independent Palestinian state…and guarantee the right of return of Palestinian refugees.”

In calling for the day of labor action, the WFTU says that as imperialist aggression intensifies, working-class solidarity must intensify as well.

“While Palestinians in Gaza live without food, wate,r and electricity for almost two months, while an unprecedented murderous attack is being carried out to flatten the Gaza Strip, workers from every corner of the globe refuse to stay silent. Militant trade unions join their voices with the Palestinian people, condemn the imperialist hypocrisy, and demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire.”

The federation, which represents more than 105 million workers in 133 countries, is calling on its affiliates and all trade unions around the world to organize mobilizations and demonstrations in both the streets and the workplaces, under the slogan: “Workers of the world stand with Palestine!”

People’s Voice

Peru mining keeping country out of deeper recession, minister says

Tue, November 28, 2023 a
By Kylie Madry

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Peru's mining sector is keeping the economy from sinking deeper into repression, Economy Minister Alex Contreras said on Tuesday, adding that progress kick-starting projects was a priority in the near term.

"If it weren't for mining, we would probably be facing a larger recession this year," Contreras said at a conference. Peru has been preparing to launch a package of economic stimulus measures.

Contreras said the first three measures, out of more than two dozen aimed at attracting mining investment and boosting production, would be published later in the day.

Peru, the world's No. 2 copper producer, fell into a recession this year due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, lower private investment and lingering effects from anti-government protests late 2022 and early this year.

Contreras said the mining nation was aiming to consolidate an industry "hub" in Peru's south, highlighting existing projects such as copper mines Las Bambas, Antapaccay and Cerro Verde.

Peru is betting on a boost from public-private partnerships, eyeing $7.98 billion in the partnerships next year, Contreras said. "In 2024, we want to at least triple the amount awarded to projects by public-private partnerships from this year."

Contreras highlighted a port "hub" project "to make Peru the international trade center of South America."

A megaport project

outside of Lima is set to open next year, but Peru is still working "against the clock" to make sure supporting infrastructure is ready in time.

Contreras also said the Ancon industrial park developed by the state, near the port, would be a guinea pig for the special economic zones set to be proposed to Congress soon.

"These will be special economic zones administrated by private organizations, on either public or private land," said Contreras, underscoring expectations for added tax revenues and greater investment in exports. (Reporting by Kylie Madry; Editing by Sarah Morland and David Gregorio)

Panama's top court ruling on mine contract latest setback for First Quantum

Reuters

November 28, 2023

View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022. 

REUTERS/Aris Martínez/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights


Nov 28 (Reuters) - Canadian miner First Quantum Minerals' (FM.TO) contract to operate its flagship Cobre Panama mine was unconstitutional, the country's Supreme Court said on Tuesday.

The contested contract gave First Quantum a 20-year mining right with an option to extend for another 20 years, in return for $375 million in annual revenue to Panama.

Cobre Panama accounts for about 1% of global copper production and contributes to about 5% of Panama's gross domestic product.

A look at the events since December last year as the ruling puts the company on the long and unpredictable road of international arbitration:
2022

Dec. 15: Panama orders First Quantum to pause operations at Cobre Panama after missing a deadline to finalize a deal that would have increased payments to the government.

Dec. 24: First Quantum starts arbitration process against Panama.
2023

Feb 23: First Quantum suspends ore processing at the mine.
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March 8: Panama and First Quantum agree on the final text for a contract to operate the mine.

March 15: First Quantum resumes operations at Cobre Panama.

Sept. 9: First Quantum reaches a deal over wages with the workers union at Cobre Panama.

Oct. 3: Panama's government authorizes the withdrawal of the proposed contract to regulate operations of First Quantum's local unit.

Oct 10: Panama's cabinet approves a modified version of the government's contract.
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Oct 20: Panama's President Laurentino Cortizo gives final approval of a law authorizing a new long-term contract for the mine.

Oct 24: Police arrest nearly 50 protesters in confrontations over the new contract.

Oct 27: Cortizo says the country will reject all new mining projects after widespread protests against the deal.

Oct 29: Cortizo says Panama will hold a referendum to decide whether to scrap the contract with the Canadian miner.

Oct 30: Panama's electoral court says currently there are not "conditions" to hold a referendum on the disputed mining contract.

Nov 2: Panama's lawmakers scratch provisions to cancel the contract with First Quantum from a proposed bill banning new mining concessions in the country.

Nov. 7: Two people taking part in an anti-government protest in Panama are shot dead by an assailant.

Nov. 13: First Quantum says reduced ore processing at mine as protesters block access to ports.

Nov. 16: The company and workers at the mine reach an agreement guaranteeing salaries as protests continue.

Nov. 24: Panama's top court starts deliberations to rule on several constitutional challenges to the contract.

Nov. 27: The company says it hopes to avoid arbitration with Panama's government by resolving disagreements during a 90-day period for talks.

Nov. 28: Panama's Supreme Court declares the contract "unconstitutional". The company says it remains committed to regulatory compliance.


Reporting by Sourasis Bose and Roshia Sabu in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila

First Quantum says it hopes to avoid Panama arbitration over mine

Reuters 

View of the Cobre Panama mine, of Canadian First Quantum Minerals, in Donoso, Panama, December 6, 2022.

PANAMA CITY (Reuters) -Canadian miner First Quantum hopes to avoid arbitration with Panama's government over a major copper mine by instead resolving disagreements during a 90-day period for talks between both sides, the company said in a statement late on Monday.

First Quantum issued a legal notification of intent to start arbitration proceedings with the Central American country under an existing trade pact between Panama and Canada, Panama's government announced on Sunday.

The country's top court is currently weighing the validity of a contract that would extend operations at the massive open-pit Cobre Panama mine, following a series of legal challenges.

The company has been forced to halt operations due largely to blockades by protesters at a key port.

In a statement, Panama's trade ministry stressed it is prepared to defend the national interest.

Last month, lawmakers in Panama approved a new contract for First Quantum to continue operating the project, which included a minimum 20-year extension while guaranteeing $375 million a year in annual payments to the government.

Opponents of the mine argue that the contract is biased in favor of the miner, and criticize its environmental impact.

(Reporting by Elida Moreno; Editing by David Alire Garcia)