140
SSM. The collected data came from literature and policy reviews, small-scale miners’ perceptions, and field observations.
Qualitative information was obtained through focus group interviews with ten
(10) regional mining chambers’ representatives and selected stakeholder respondents. Following respondents’ requests, identities have been protected, and personal
details will remain anonymous. Three focus groups were undertaken with miners
and selected stakeholders at CANAMIL’s (National Mining Chamber) office. Focus
groups involved participants from Potosí, La Paz, Oruro, Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca,
and Tarija mining regions. Small-scale miners who actively participated in group
interviews were invited by CANAMIL. A governance policy analysis was also
applied to facilitate the examination of some of the data collected, such as regulatory frameworks, royalty reports, corporate financial reports, and other quantitative
secondary data meaningful to achieve the objective of this research. These data were
collected from well-known and reliable sources.
10.3.2 Case Selection
Bolivia was selected as a case study due to the existing governance shifts in
SSM. Bolivia is a developing resource country located on the Andes mountain range
in South America. The Bolivian mining industry consists of three subsectors: state,
private, and cooperative. State mining is represented by COMIBOL mining company, producer of tin, copper, zinc, and lead. The private mining sector integrates
medium private companies, domestic and foreign investment companies, and producers of zinc, lead, silver, gold, copper, and antimony. SSM is part of the private
mining industry and has a diversified mining production, as it produces all minerals
and metals exported by Bolivia. SSM is mainly undertaken at COMIBOL’s surrounding mining areas.
Private mining produces 70% of the GVA followed by 21% of cooperative mining and 9% of state mining. Official data of SSM production and exports are not
available; however it is estimated that it represents 31.5% of the private mining
production (CANAMIL 2015). There is not a clear methodology for SSM production calculations, particularly of cooperatives operating nearby COMIBOL. However,
miners state that levels of production and exports have increased since 2006
(CANAMIL 2015).
According to Law 535 of Mining and Metallurgy, SSM miners are considered
private agents clustered in the National Chamber of Mining (CANAMIL), an organization with autonomous management, equity capital, resources, and assets generated by members’ contributions and governed under the National Constitution
(Congreso de la Republica de Bolivia 2014a, b). Founded in 1940, CANAMIL produces a wide variety of minerals and metals such as tin, silver, zinc, lead, antimony,
wolfram, copper, gold, and other rare-earth metals. CANAMIL’s production represents 25% of the GVA. The organization currently comprises approximately 3747
miners (see Table 10.1).
I. B. Franco et al.
SSM. The collected data came from literature and policy reviews, small-scale miners’ perceptions, and field observations.
Qualitative information was obtained through focus group interviews with ten
(10) regional mining chambers’ representatives and selected stakeholder respondents. Following respondents’ requests, identities have been protected, and personal
details will remain anonymous. Three focus groups were undertaken with miners
and selected stakeholders at CANAMIL’s (National Mining Chamber) office. Focus
groups involved participants from Potosí, La Paz, Oruro, Santa Cruz, Chuquisaca,
and Tarija mining regions. Small-scale miners who actively participated in group
interviews were invited by CANAMIL. A governance policy analysis was also
applied to facilitate the examination of some of the data collected, such as regulatory frameworks, royalty reports, corporate financial reports, and other quantitative
secondary data meaningful to achieve the objective of this research. These data were
collected from well-known and reliable sources.
10.3.2 Case Selection
Bolivia was selected as a case study due to the existing governance shifts in
SSM. Bolivia is a developing resource country located on the Andes mountain range
in South America. The Bolivian mining industry consists of three subsectors: state,
private, and cooperative. State mining is represented by COMIBOL mining company, producer of tin, copper, zinc, and lead. The private mining sector integrates
medium private companies, domestic and foreign investment companies, and producers of zinc, lead, silver, gold, copper, and antimony. SSM is part of the private
mining industry and has a diversified mining production, as it produces all minerals
and metals exported by Bolivia. SSM is mainly undertaken at COMIBOL’s surrounding mining areas.
Private mining produces 70% of the GVA followed by 21% of cooperative mining and 9% of state mining. Official data of SSM production and exports are not
available; however it is estimated that it represents 31.5% of the private mining
production (CANAMIL 2015). There is not a clear methodology for SSM production calculations, particularly of cooperatives operating nearby COMIBOL. However,
miners state that levels of production and exports have increased since 2006
(CANAMIL 2015).
According to Law 535 of Mining and Metallurgy, SSM miners are considered
private agents clustered in the National Chamber of Mining (CANAMIL), an organization with autonomous management, equity capital, resources, and assets generated by members’ contributions and governed under the National Constitution
(Congreso de la Republica de Bolivia 2014a, b). Founded in 1940, CANAMIL produces a wide variety of minerals and metals such as tin, silver, zinc, lead, antimony,
wolfram, copper, gold, and other rare-earth metals. CANAMIL’s production represents 25% of the GVA. The organization currently comprises approximately 3747
miners (see Table 10.1).
I. B. Franco et al.