Salta formally presented the Salta 2050 programme, a long-term planning initiative aimed at defining the province's economic and productive direction for the coming decades.
The launch was led by Governor Gustavo Sáenz and brought together representatives from the public, private, academic and productive sectors. The proposal seeks to build a sustainable development agenda that outlasts government cycles and provides predictability for capital-intensive investments.
Mining is one of the central pillars of the plan. The provincial government aims to consolidate Salta as a lithium-producing hub within Argentina's Puna, taking advantage of global demand for critical minerals linked to electromobility and the energy transition.
The programme also highlights the potential of Salta's salt flats and the advance of new investments aimed both at geological exploration and the start of commercial production phases.
Logistics infrastructure occupies a strategic place. To improve the mining competitiveness of north-western Argentina, Salta assigns a central role to the Capricorn Bioceanic Corridor, designed to connect the region with Pacific ports through Chile and reduce international freight costs.
Within that framework, the plan includes key connectivity works. These include strengthening National Route 51 and upgrading the C-14 railway branch, considered essential for heavy cargo transport from the Puna toward trans-Andean crossings.
The agenda also incorporates the concept of mining with social and environmental value. The official goal is to strengthen the social licence of mining projects through sustainability standards, territorial development and transparent coordination among companies, the state and Indigenous communities.
The challenge for Salta 2050 will be to turn the mining boom into verifiable development. The province wants lithium, logistics, energy and infrastructure to operate as a single productive strategy capable of sustaining jobs, local suppliers and export competitiveness.
