The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just fully compiled comments from ministries, branches, localities, enterprises, associations, and individuals who sent written comments as well as at 3 workshops to collect comments on the draft Law on Geology and Minerals with 6 groups of issues including: fees for granting rights and reserves for calculating fees for granting rights to exploit minerals; auction of mineral exploitation rights; exploitation capacity; procedures for approving investment policies; mineral classification; mortgage of mineral exploitation rights.
Synthesizing the results of comments from ministries, branches and localities, Mr. Mai The Toan - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Minerals Department said that the Articles with many comments include: explanation of terms; State policies on geology and minerals; principles of geological and mineral activities; rights of localities and communities where geological and mineral resources are exploited; minerals used as common construction materials; prohibited acts; responsibilities of organizations and individuals to protect geological and mineral resources; responsibilities of People's Committees at all levels to protect unexploited geological and mineral resources; areas of mineral activities, areas with restricted mineral activities.
At the meeting, in addition to the above opinions, members of the Drafting Committee also contributed comments on the contents of mineral processing; areas where mineral activities are prohibited, areas where mineral activities are temporarily prohibited; implementation of investment projects and works in national mineral resource reserve areas; exploitation of minerals for common construction materials, etc.
Specifically, regarding mineral processing, representatives of the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Government Office agreed on the viewpoint of adding content related to mineral processing activities to the scope of regulation of the draft Law.
According to the representative of the Ministry of Construction, it is necessary to study and supplement the scope of regulation and some directional contents on mineral processing and export to ensure comprehensive management of all activities related to the mineral sector, including mineral exploitation must be associated with mineral processing and use according to the viewpoint of Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW of the Politburo, while ensuring compatibility with the content of mineral planning (specifically, planning for exploration, exploitation, processing and use of minerals specified in Articles 17 and 18 of the draft Law).
Also commenting on Article 1. Scope of regulation of the draft Law, the representative of the Ministry of Transport proposed to add the phrase "dredge material from dredging activities in seaport waters and inland waterway waters" and adjust it to: "This Law regulates basic geological surveys, basic geological surveys of mineral resources; protection of unexploited geological and mineral resources; mineral exploration and exploitation; state management of geology and minerals within the mainland, islands, internal waters, territorial waters, contiguous zones, exclusive economic zones and continental shelf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Minerals are oil and gas; other types of natural water other than mineral water, natural thermal water, dredge material from dredging activities in seaport waters and inland waterway waters are not within the scope of regulation of this Law".
In addition, the Ministry of Transport also commented on Article 68. Organizations and individuals exploiting minerals. Accordingly, the Ministry proposed to add Clause 4 to Article 68 as follows: "Investors and construction contractors with business registration in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Enterprises shall be considered for assignment and grant of the right to exploit minerals as common construction materials to implement construction investment projects".
In addition to comments on each specific content, some members of the Drafting Committee also requested that the unit in charge of drafting the Law on Geology and Minerals should increase the collection of opinions from experts in this field. Mr. Nguyen Dac Dong - Chairman of the Vietnam Geological Society suggested that the Vietnam Geological Society and the Vietnam Minerals Department coordinate to organize a meeting to collect opinions from experts under the Society and selectively absorb valid opinions to complete the draft Law.
Concluding the meeting, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien highly appreciated the clear comments of the members of the Drafting Committee of the Law on Geology and Minerals, and requested the Vietnam Mineral Resources Department and the Vietnam Geological Survey to absorb the comments to soon complete the draft Law, submit it to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment so that the Ministry can send it to the Ministry of Justice for appraisal of the draft Law, expected in December.
In particular, the Deputy Minister agreed with the opinions of the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Government Office that the draft Law should have a definition and regulations on mineral processing and hoped that the two Ministries as well as the Government Office would conduct further research to directly contribute comments on this content to specific Chapters and Articles of the draft Law.
The Deputy Minister also said that in the coming time, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will assign the Vietnam Geological Survey and the Vietnam Minerals Administration to organize an in-depth technical workshop, inviting experts in this field to give comments on each specific Chapter and Article.
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