Removing difficulties and obstacles in mineral management and exploitation activities

On the afternoon of April 15th, Comrade Le Duc Giang, Provincial Party Committee member and Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, chaired a meeting on the results of a comprehensive review and inspection of planning, exploration, surveying, licensing, exploitation, transportation, and environmental restoration for mineral mines in the province.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Giang chaired the meeting.

The conference was attended by representatives from relevant provincial departments, the Provincial Business Association, and mining companies operating in the area.

Director of the Department of Agriculture and Environment, Cao Van Cuong, delivered a speech at the conference.

According to the Thanh Hoa Provincial Planning approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 153/QD-TTg dated February 27, 2023, there are 557 mineral mining areas for common construction materials and small-scale, scattered mineral deposits in the province, under the licensing authority of the Provincial People's Committee. As of March 15, 344 mines in the province still have valid licenses.

A representative from the Provincial Business Association delivered a speech at the conference.

Over the past period, the exploitation and processing of minerals for common construction materials in the province has promptly met the demand for construction materials for important projects in the province. This has contributed to boosting the province's economic growth rate in recent years, contributing 900-1,000 billion VND to the provincial budget annually.

A representative from the Thọ Xuân District People's Committee delivered a speech at the conference.

To ensure that mining operations meet the demand for construction materials and to rectify the situation so that businesses comply with legal regulations, the Department of Agriculture and Environment established three inspection teams to examine 243 mines. These included 189 stone mines, 33 soil mines, 6 sand mines, and 15 mines producing clay, sandstone, and claystone for brick making.

However, some difficulties remain in the management process. Mineral resource plans, integrated into provincial planning, were established and approved between 2015 and 2020, so many mines are no longer relevant to current realities. The forecasts for construction material demand by investors are inaccurate and do not reflect reality. For example, the actual volume of stone used in 2024 is 12.33 million m3, while the forecast for 2025 is 8.43 million m3. Regarding fill soil, the remaining reserves at licensed mines are 42.89 million m3, while the demand for the 2026-2030 period is 151.33 million m3, leaving a shortfall of approximately 141.71 million m3.

Thus, the reserves of sand and fill soil mines do not meet the demand and are still significantly short of actual needs, especially construction sand. Some mines are violating regulations by exceeding their permitted capacity, exceeding the boundaries of their licensed mines, deviating from the design, encroaching on land, and misdeclaring their production output.

A representative from the Provincial Police Department delivered a speech at the conference.

Illegal mining activities continue to occur, especially the extraction of sand and gravel from riverbeds. Most of the specialized personnel in the mining sector at the district and commune levels lack formal training in mineral resource management, resulting in ineffective inspection and monitoring of mining activities and a failure to promptly detect all violations.

Representatives of mining companies spoke at the conference.

At the conference, representatives of businesses involved in mining and mineral trading proposed that relevant authorities reassess the reserves of licensed mines to create better conditions for businesses to operate; implement measures to control the current increase in construction material prices; restrict mining in border areas; and promptly develop a plan for material mines to meet market demand.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Giang delivered the concluding remarks at the conference.

Concluding the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Le Duc Giang instructed the Department of Agriculture and Environment to complete the dossiers after inspecting the mineral mines. Depending on the severity of the violations, the Provincial Police and relevant agencies will handle the cases according to the law. He also requested that businesses comply with regulations in mineral mining operations.

To address the shortage of construction materials, the Department of Agriculture and Environment is inspecting mining sites in areas that do not affect people's lives or traffic to grant licenses for increasing mining capacity to meet market demand. At the same time, they are reviewing and putting eligible mines up for auction for mining licenses according to regulations.

In addition, review existing mines and propose additions to the provincial plan to ensure they are consistent with reality, used economically and efficiently to serve socio-economic development, and serve as a basis for granting mining licenses in accordance with regulations. Encourage businesses to process and utilize artificial sand. Prioritize supplying materials for construction projects currently underway in the province.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also requested the Provincial Police and local authorities to strengthen inspection and supervision of mineral exploitation activities by enterprises to detect and promptly handle violations. The Department of Agriculture and Environment will incorporate the opinions of relevant sectors and enterprises at the conference and finalize the report for the upcoming provincial conference.

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Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/thao-go-kho-khan-vuong-mac-trong-hoat-dong-quan-ly-khai-thac-khoang-san-245728.htm