Impulsa Mendoza and Banco Comafi organized the webinar “Guarantee Structures and Financing for Mining Suppliers,” a virtual event focused on analyzing financial tools available for companies linked to the mining value chain and exploring financing alternatives within Argentina’s current economic context.
The event brought together specialists from the financial system and the mining sector, who discussed various capital market instruments and financial structuring mechanisms designed to strengthen supplier development and improve access to financing.
The webinar featured Sebastián Piña, CEO of Impulsa Mendoza, along with Banco Comafi specialists Bibiana Ogasawara, Manager of Global Custody and Trust Services; Jeremías Maratta, Mining Business Manager; and Mateo Gall, CFA, Corporate Sales and Trading. Special guest Manuel Benítez, President of CAPMIN, also participated, while the panel was moderated by Sofia Raich, Head of Finance and Sustainable Development at Impulsa Mendoza.
During his presentation, Sebastián Piña highlighted the strategic role financing plays in the development of the mining sector and its value chain.
“We are the provincial company dedicated to mining, but understood from a strategic perspective, seeking to create an ecosystem of investment and development that allows Mendoza’s geological potential to promote growth for society as a whole,” he stated.
The CEO of Impulsa Mendoza explained that access to financing is essential throughout every stage of mining sector development.
“Financing is a key tool throughout the entire history of mining. A junior exploration company needs access to capital markets practically from its inception, unlike more traditional industries that seek financing at much later stages,” he said.
In this regard, he emphasized the importance of understanding financial instruments and creating educational opportunities that allow companies in the sector to access these tools.
Piña also highlighted the multiplier effect of mining activity on the economy.
“For every direct job created by mining, two indirect and three induced jobs are generated. That is where the importance of the mining supplier chain becomes clear. We know mining cannot develop if those suppliers are not prepared,” he explained.
He also stressed that supplier development is central to the sector’s growth and that suppliers must also meet the sustainability standards increasingly required by financing markets.
Within this framework, Piña noted that Impulsa Mendoza promotes initiatives focused both on training and on improving access to financing for the mining-related productive ecosystem.
“We are working very strongly on education as a central pillar. We have a program called Impulsando el Conocimiento, which seeks to create different educational tools so society is prepared not only to coexist with mining, but also to work for and alongside the mining industry. At the same time, we are developing Impulsando el Financiamiento, a program aimed at positioning Mendoza as a financial hub where the technical, logistical, and regulatory conditions exist for financing to become an agile tool for development,” he said.
Following his remarks, Banco Comafi specialists presented different capital market instruments and financial tools that can be used by companies linked to the mining value chain.
During the webinar, participants analyzed various business financing tools within the Argentine economic context, including the macroeconomic environment, alternatives for accessing capital markets, liquidity management strategies, and foreign exchange hedging mechanisms against volatility.
In this context, Banco Comafi’s team presented its trust services and guarantee structures used to support financial operations. These included guarantee trusts, which secure obligations through the allocation of specific assets; financial trusts, used to monetize assets; and administration trusts, designed to manage assets or rights according to contractual terms.
The webinar also explained how escrow accounts operate. These accounts are used to hold funds or assets in restricted-use accounts that ensure commitments between parties are fulfilled. This mechanism allows a company to assign collection rights — for example from exports or sales — to back financing operations, while the bank manages cash flows and verifies compliance with obligations.
Banco Comafi has more than 40 years of experience in Argentina’s capital markets, is a leader in mutual fund custody services with approximately 35% market share, and manages more than 85% of the CEDEAR programs issued in the country.
More Educational Programs and Scholarships
Banco Comafi and Unicorn Future Education Services also launched the international scholarship program “Mining, Governance and Energy Transition,” a training initiative aimed at leaders and professionals in Argentina’s mining sector. The program, which will begin in May and be taught by the University of Northern British Columbia (Canada), will offer live online classes with international specialists, academic certification, and networking opportunities with industry leaders.
The program will address strategic topics such as mining governance, ESG criteria, energy transition, environmental and social management, community participation, and conflict resolution, with the goal of strengthening professional capabilities and promoting international standards within the sector’s development.