en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Mining and Energy Committee of the Chilean Chamber of Deputies, meeting in Valparaíso (June 24, 2026), approved in general the bill to simplify the application and payment system for mining concession patent fee reductions, with 8 votes in favor and 5 abstentions. This bill, the first mining legislative initiative submitted by President Kast's administration, has entered the first constitutional procedure in Congress and has been granted the highest urgency level.
The executive branch's proposal aims to modify the provisions on mining patent fees in the Mining Code. Its core elements are the elimination of the progressive increase in patent fees and the requirements for small-scale mining applicants to qualify for reductions, such as the 500-hectare area limit, family relationships, and business type. Additionally, the proposal adds a new exploration reduction clause, allowing producers to avoid reapplying for reductions annually.
Chile's Minister of Economy and Mining, Daniel Mas, stated that the bill aims to strengthen mining activities, particularly by providing flexible compliance tools for the small-scale mining sector, which is vital to northern Chile. He emphasized that the focus is on promoting investment and reactivating the potential of small and medium-sized mining, offering certainty and incentives to entrepreneurs, aligning with the government's goal of becoming a state that promotes private initiatives.
Undersecretary Álvaro González further noted that the bill clarifies simplification in three aspects: first, eliminating bureaucratic requirements such as family relationships and business types that hinder small miners from accessing benefits; second, eliminating progressive patent fees for those not conducting activities; and third, expanding the scope of benefits from concession holders to lessees and legal operators.
This measure, anticipated by small and medium-sized mining producers, was submitted to Congress in May this year. Following the general approval, the legislature set July 7 as the deadline for proposing amendments, after which a vote on specific articles will take place before the bill is sent to the Chamber of Deputies' Finance Committee for discussion. Once the bill is finalized, mining activities will benefit from clearer rules and a more favorable overall patent fee system, aligning it with the country's mining development goals.
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