Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien chaired the 3rd Workshop to collect comments on the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals.

*Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien delivered the opening speech at the workshop.*

Co-chairing the workshop with the Deputy Minister were Mr. Tran Hoa Nam, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang - Director of Vietnam Minerals Department and Mr. Mai The Toan - Deputy Director of Vietnam Minerals Department.

Also attending the workshop were representatives from the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, the Office of the National Assembly; the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Construction; the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the provinces and centrally-run cities in the Central and South Central regions; mineral companies operating in the Central and South Central regions; and units under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

*Mr. Tran Hoa Nam, Provincial Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee spoke at the workshop.*

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien said: The current period is a very important period for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to focus on developing the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals that can meet the urgent requirements of the country's socio-economic life, both strengthening cooperation in managing and protecting mineral resources and overcoming existing problems, especially the issue of environmental protection, economical and effective use of mineral resources according to the circular economic model, green economy. These are the requirements set forth in Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW of the Politburo on strategic orientations for geology, minerals and mining industry to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Exploiting and using geological and mineral resources sustainably, reasonably, economically, effectively, and exploiting them according to the circular economic model to maximize efficiency is a very high requirement. In addition to these contents, the requirement on environmental protection, calculating the efficiency in exploiting and protecting resources, including mineral resources, is a very important content included in the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals.

*Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang - Director of the Vietnam Minerals Department analyzed and clarified the comments at the workshop.*

In addition, the Draft has provisions for state management agencies at all levels, especially the People's Committees at the provincial, district, and commune/ward levels, to organize the implementation of management work, strongly promoting the role of grassroots authorities in protecting and rationally exploiting mineral resources. Along with that, the budget for protecting unexploited mineral resources, especially the use of funds to investigate, evaluate, discover, and delimit mineral potentials within the scope and authority of the People's Committees at the provincial and centrally-run city levels; the issue of using the State budget in basic geological surveys, basic geological surveys of mineral resources, as well as the organization, exploration, and assessment of important strategic minerals are also important contents mentioned in the Draft Law.

According to the Deputy Minister, in the context of our country promoting the 4th Industrial Revolution, important strategic minerals are even more meaningful. The Drafting Committee and Editorial Team have planned to submit to the Government for consideration and allocation of lists of important strategic minerals of the country; the issue of assignment and decentralization of management in the field of geology and minerals has also been reviewed more reasonably to promote the responsibility of each Ministry, branch, governing body, as well as the People's Committees at all levels in this issue.

*Mr. Mai The Toan - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Minerals Department presented the main contents of the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals.*

The Draft Law on Geology and Minerals also contains content on ensuring harmony of interests between the Central and local governments regarding fees for granting mineral exploitation rights, the interests of the people, communities, and places where mineral resources are exploited...

Speaking at the workshop, Mr. Tran Hoa Nam, Vice Chairman of Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee, said: In recent years, the Provincial Party Committee and Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee have always paid attention to leading and directing the strengthening of state management of minerals in the province according to the provisions of the 2010 Mineral Law. In general, the effectiveness and unity of state management of minerals have been promoted; contributing to increasing budget revenue, creating jobs for local people, developing the socio-economy and raising awareness and perception of the community in the exploitation and rational use of mineral resources, as well as the responsibility of all levels, sectors and the entire political system in protecting unexploited mineral resources.

Mr. Tran Hoa Nam assessed that the system of legal documents on minerals is now basically complete, contributing to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of minerals; promoting basic geological surveys on minerals and the mining industry; and mineral management is increasingly stricter and more effective.

However, after 13 years of implementation, the 2010 Mineral Law has revealed limitations and inadequacies, and is no longer suitable for practice. In terms of state management in localities in general and Khanh Hoa province in particular, many problems have arisen that need to be amended and supplemented to ensure that state management activities on geology and minerals are increasingly effective and efficient, and to unlock resources to contribute to socio-economic development.

Therefore, Mr. Tran Hoa Nam hopes that through the Workshop, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Drafting Committee of the Law on Geology and Minerals will receive many useful comments from localities, businesses, experts and organizations and individuals operating in the field of geology and minerals to study, consult, and contribute to perfecting the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals to soon submit to competent authorities for consideration and decision.

At the workshop, Mr. Mai The Toan - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Minerals Department informed about the purpose, requirements, structure and content of the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals. In addition to inheriting the provisions of the 2010 Law on Minerals, the Draft Law on Geology and Minerals (including 13 Chapters and 132 Articles) has amended and supplemented many new provisions to create a synchronous and unified legal corridor, ensuring transparency; overcoming shortcomings to uniformly manage the field of geology and minerals; strictly manage, economically and effectively use minerals.

Also at the workshop, delegates had presentations and many comments on specific contents of the draft Law on Geology and Minerals such as: dossiers for licensing common construction materials, fees for granting mineral exploitation rights, monitoring mineral output, auctioning mineral exploitation rights, land use in mineral exploitation, etc. Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, Director of the Vietnam Minerals Department, said that based on the comments of delegates at the workshop, the Vietnam Minerals Department will receive, synthesize, and report to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to complete the draft Law on Geology and Minerals to submit to the Government and the National Assembly for approval as planned.

The workshop took place all day on October 13. Electronic Newspaper baotainguyenmoitruong.vn will continue to update the workshop content in the following articles.

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