A Legislative Move with Broad Territorial Implications
Peru’s congressional mining committee approved a proposal to extend the REINFO registry— the temporary permit system for informal miners—until 2027. The decision comes after protests in Lima by thousands of small-scale miners demanding regulatory continuity. While REINFO was originally created as a transitional mechanism toward formalization, successive extensions have turned it into a recurring political challenge. The new proposal reflects the tension between maintaining social stability in mining regions and confronting an institutional framework that has struggled to move from registration to real compliance.
A Sector Caught Between Economic Need and Institutional Fragility
Informal and small-scale mining provides livelihoods for tens of thousands of Peruvians, particularly in Madre de Dios, Puno, Arequipa, and La Libertad. Yet the economic weight of the sector coexists with high environmental and fiscal costs, as well as the presence of criminal networks that exploit legal ambiguity. Extending REINFO offers temporary relief for miners who depend on permit continuity to operate, sell, and access financing. But without a functioning pathway to full formalization—technical support, traceability systems, environmental oversight, the registry risks perpetuating a parallel system where the state regulates on paper but not in practice.
Why This Matters for Peru’s Economic and Institutional Trajectory
The REINFO debate is more than an administrative adjustment; it is a test of Peru’s capacity to govern one of its most sensitive economic sectors. Gold remains a major export, and a significant share originates from informal or illegal operations. Prolonged legal ambiguity affects fiscal revenue, environmental degradation, and the credibility of the state in territories where trust is already limited. The proposed extension highlights a broader dilemma: Peru cannot sustain long-term mining competitiveness or territorial stability without a formalization strategy that is realistic, enforceable, and socially viable. In a global minerals market driven by traceability and responsible sourcing, unresolved informality is not just a domestic issue, it shapes how the country is perceived and integrated into international supply chains.