Main Findings and Achievements
On October 2, 2025, the Ministry of Energy and Mines published the Evaluation Report of the National Policy for Small-Scale and Artisanal Mining (PNMPEMA) 2024–2030, presenting a partially positive balance of progress in the formalization and sustainability of the sector. The assessment identifies notable improvements in socio-environmental management and institutional capacity building, including a reduction in accident rates, an increase in miners with approved environmental management instruments, and the training of more than 3,000 miners and 400 regional officials. Additionally, the launch of the Information System for Small-Scale and Artisanal Mining (SIPMMA) and new training programs for Regional Directorates of Energy and Mines (DREM/GREM) mark important institutional milestones. These results demonstrate tangible progress toward safer, more environmentally responsible mining practices.
Challenges and Structural Limitations
Despite these gains, the report underscores critical shortfalls that threaten the comprehensive implementation of the policy. Chief among them is the absence of a national certification system for formal gold, a key mechanism to improve traceability and international market access. The evaluation also highlights weak inter-institutional coordination, deficient contract and easement frameworks, and limited policy ownership among regional and sectoral stakeholders. Furthermore, indicators related to technical competencies and traceability have stagnated or regressed, revealing gaps in the continuity of training and oversight mechanisms. These deficiencies undermine the policy’s integrality and reduce its potential impact in the short term.
Recommendations and Policy Outlook
The General Directorate of Mining Formalization outlines several measures to accelerate progress toward the 2030 goals. These include strengthening governance through an inter-institutional working group to coordinate and monitor the 19 services under the policy; ensuring active participation from sectoral entities by assigning permanent staff with decision-making authority; diversifying funding sources by integrating national and international resources; and prioritizing the formal gold certification process, contractual frameworks, and consolidation of the SIPMMA system. Overall, the evaluation concludes that while the policy has produced measurable impacts in safety and sustainability, its long-term success depends on reinforcing coordination, accelerating pending services, and sustaining interventions that enable a fully formalized, transparent, and competitive artisanal mining sector by 2030.