ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, April 09, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Quebec Association for Mineral Exploration (AEMQ) supports the initiative of the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of Quebec and Minister responsible for the Côte-Nord region, Mr. Jonatan Julien, who announced the postponement for one year of the requirement to carry out field work for the renewal of a claim. A simple and effective measure that will help businesses.
Following the cessation of mining exploration activities throughout Quebec, decreed on March 24 in response to the COVID-19 crisis, exploration companies are unable to meet the obligations to maintain their titles mining. The implementation of this measure will allow companies in exploration to defer spending while retaining essential jobs in these difficult times. This is more important since exploration companies do not qualify for the federal government's wage subsidy. Indeed, because of the public funding model of these, they could find themselves in a precarious financial situation.
"We welcome Minister Julien's announcement. This is a particularly important mitigation measure for mineral exploration company. In preparation for the moment when the return to the field will be authorized, we will work jointly with government authorities and our exploration members to put in place superior health measures aimed at protecting our workers and the communities in which we work ”, declared Mr. Mathieu Savard, president of the board of directors of the AEMQ.
The current situation is very worrying for the development of the Quebec mineral sector and our resource regions. Particular attention must be paid to the measures that will be put in place to ensure an effective and sustained revival of exploration activities and allow workers to find their jobs quickly. The health and safety of workers, their families and host communities, maintaining the quality of the workforce and the impact of the crisis on the price of commodities are issues that our businesses will have to face. Additional incentives, encouraging investment in mineral exploration, will also have to be introduced.
"We congratulate Minister Julien and his team on today's announcement. This is the first step to enable SMEs to better weather this unprecedented crisis. We offer our cooperation to it in order to put in place other measures that will allow the revival of our sector of activity during the post-COVID-19 ", declared Mrs. Valérie Fillion, director general of the AEMQ.
ABOUT THE QUEBEC MINING EXPLORATION ASSOCIATION (AEMQ)
AEMQ IS A PROFESSIONAL AND INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING STAKEHOLDERS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF MINING EXPLORATION IN QUEBEC. FOUNDED IN 1975, THE ASSOCIATION HAS THE MISSION TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AND RESPONSIBLE EXPLORATION OF QUEBEC'S MINERAL RESOURCES AND THEIR ESSENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE QUEBEC ECONOMY. IT COLLECTS 1200 INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS. THE ASSOCIATION ORGANIZES XPLOR ANNUALLY, A CONGRESS GATHERING THE QUEBEC MINERAL SECTOR IN MONTREAL. THIS YEAR THE CONGRESS WILL BE HELD ON OCTOBER 21 AND 22, 2020.
SOURCE AND INFORMATION :
Valérie Fillion
Directrice générale
819 762-1599 poste 2224
dg@aemq.org