stated that the Tia Maria mining project is a source of satisfaction for him, because it is now a reality and will create thousands of jobs for young Peruvians, in addition to having a significant socio-economic impact on southern Arequipa region and the entire nation.
"Tia Maria is a source of satisfaction, as the president herself has stated; it is a reality," Mucho said in an interview with Red de Comunicacion Regional.
He added that the mining project has already started providing employment opportunities to hundreds of young people from Islay province, which "will translate into a significant socio-economic impact on the region and the country."
Minister Mucho explained that Arequipa's mining gross domestic product (GDP) is around 34%, but with the Tia Maria project, it will increase to nearly 40%.
According to the minister, exports from Arequipa are expected to rise by 15% once production begins.
"In terms of GDP, it accounts for 0.4% of national GDP," Mucho emphasized.
"Currently, the mining project generates high expectations, as it is the only one we have at hand, and its construction is good news. The company will have to assume many challenges, including the development of a modern mining activity, which exists and is practiced around the world," he noted.
The Cabinet member asserted that the launch of Tia Maria project "will help revolutionize the Tambo Valley, which could become an agro-exporting valley, improving water quality, transitioning to other high-value crops, utilizing science and technology."
Moreover, Minister Mucho referred to the recent
APEC Peru 2024 forum, which he
deemed as highly positive for Peru, as it placed the host economy on the world stage, particularly before the 21 economies that participated, accounting for 60% of the global gross product and 40% of the world's population.
He also highlighted the importance of signing various Memoranda of Understanding and Cooperation with countries such as the People's Republic of China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Australia, and Canada.
In this regard, the most notable topics were mining and energy, as "Peru possesses these natural resources that both we and the world will need in the future."
"We must feel proud to have these resources, which need to be valued; at the same time, they represent significant challenges in terms of knowledge transfer and the development of technology in our country," he pointed out.