LIMA (Reuters) - A Peruvian congressional committee on Friday took an initial step to extend a scheme that allows temporary permits to be given to small-scale informal miners, controversial due to accusations by opponents that it has been misused to expand illegal mining.

Peru’s Congress on Tuesday fired the energy and mines minister over a bill the government had introduced to increase oversight on informal miners that had prompted nationwide protests.

Peru's Congress removed Energy and Mines minister Romulo Mucho from his post on Tuesday as protesters from small-scale miners in the Andean nation camped out at the legislature's building in the capital and intermittently halted traffic throughout the south.

Peru's Congress removed Energy and Mines minister Romulo Mucho from his post on Tuesday amid protests from small-scale miners in the Andean nation. Peruvian small-scale miners have been demanding a two-year extension of a program that allows them to operate temporarily,