The Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) welcomes the bicameral committee’s decision to remove the raw ore export ban provision from the final version of the mining fiscal regime bill. This is a prudent and forward-looking step that protects jobs, upholds investor confidence, and reflects a more realistic understanding of the challenges surrounding domestic mineral processing.
We recognize that a calibrated increase in mining taxation is necessary to ensure fair government revenue and public benefit. In this regard, we reiterate our support for a margins- and windfall-profits based tax structure, which better reflects actual business performance and aligns with international best practices. Fiscal predictability and economic rationality are essential to attract long-term investments and enable the growth of a competitive, responsible mining industry.
PNIA shares the national aspiration to build a robust value-added processing sector in the Philippines. However, the path to achieving this requires more than regulatory mandates. It demands the resolution of persistent structural issues such as high energy costs, weak infrastructure, policy uncertainty, and permitting delays, which continue to deter large-scale investments in mineral processing.
We thank our policymakers for considering the concerns raised by various stakeholders and for choosing a path that safeguards economic stability while keeping the door open for long-term industrial development. PNIA remains committed to working with the government and partners to translate policy into progress and ensure that the mining sector contributes meaningfully to inclusive, sustainable growth.