|
RAPAPORT... The most attractive jurisdictions for mining and exploration investment include one diamond-producing region, but several others did score in the top 50 in the annual survey of mining companies, which was conducted by The Fraser Institute. Overall, mining firms rated the top regions as Sweden, Finland, Alberta, Ireland, Wyoming, Western Australia, New Brunswick, Nevada, Newfoundland & Labrador and Norway. The 10 least attractive jurisdictions worldwide were Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela, Philippines, Argentina — La Rioja, Angola, Argentina — Mendoza, Zimbabwe, Cote d'Ivoire, Indonesia and Madagascar. “The confidence mining executives have in Sweden and Finland, for example, proves that it’s possible to enact sound environmental protections and still maintain a successful mining industry,” according to the survey's author and Fraser Institute director, Kenneth Green. The Fraser Institute compiled data to rank 112 jurisdictions based on the region's policy attractiveness, government uncertainty, environmental regulations, its legal system, taxation, infrastructure, trade barriers, labor, geological databases and security to establish its policy perception index (PPI). While Sweden topped the list with the highest PPI of 95.2 points, diamond producer Western Australia ranked in sixth place with a score of 90.3 points. According to the Fraser Institute, other diamond producers ranked as follows: Botswana, 25, scored 74.2 points
Ontario, 28, scored 73.1 points
Namibia, 34, scored 68.3 points
Nunavut, 44, scored 60.4 points
Northwest Territories, 47, scored 57.5 points
Zambia, 57, scored 48 points
Tanzania, 62, scored 43 points
India, 63, scored 40 points
South Africa, 64, scored 39.8 points
Brazil, 65, scored 39.1 points
Liberia, 66, scored 38.2 points
Myanmar, 67, scored 37.9 points
Mozambique, 76, scored 29.9 points
DR Congo, 85, scored 23.9 points
Russia, 91, scored 19.4 points
Sierra Leone, 96, scored 17.2 points
Cote d'Ivoire, 105, scored 14.9 points
Angola, 108, scored 10.7 points
Venezuela, 111, scored 6.5 points
|