Thanh Hoa rectifies mineral exploitation activities: Increase revenue

Tightly manage mineral resources to avoid revenue loss

Since the beginning of 2023, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has submitted to the Provincial People's Committee for approval the auction plan for 84 mines. To date, the Provincial People's Committee has approved the plan for 50 mines. The Department has successfully organized 5 auctions with a total of 36 mines. Of which, there are 20 land mines with a total estimated resource reserve of about 42.0 million m3. The units are completing the documents to be licensed according to regulations.

Specifically: 20 mines for leveling land: Estimated reserves and resources: 42,387,094m3; 15 mines for construction stone: Estimated reserves and resources: 32,256,546m3. Construction sand: 1 mine: Estimated reserves and resources: 60,000m3. 6th auction: 13 mines (price announcement on October 12, 2023).

Currently, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is continuing to complete documents and procedures to organize auctions for 10 mines (5 indirect mines and 5 online mines). According to the plan, the expected price announcement date is November 21, 2023.

Thanh Hoa strengthens rectification of mineral exploitation activities to avoid budget losses

At the same time, coordinate with the Mining - Geology Group to complete the report explaining the project on Delimiting prohibited areas, temporarily banning sand and gravel mining activities on riverbeds in Thanh Hoa province according to Decision No. 114/QD-UBND dated January 11, 2021 of the Provincial People's Committee approving the Outline of the task of Delimiting prohibited areas, temporarily banning sand and gravel mining activities on riverbeds in Thanh Hoa province.

On May 26, 2022, the Department issued Document No. 4361/STNMT-TNKS requesting relevant sectors and units to contribute comments on the explanatory report. On April 25, 2023, the Department continued to issue Document No. 3504/STNMT-TNKS reporting and drafting a proposal to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to review and submit to the Prime Minister for approval of the dossier on Delimiting prohibited areas, temporarily banning sand and gravel mining activities on riverbeds in Thanh Hoa province.

On May 30, 2023, the Provincial People's Committee issued Official Dispatch No. 7499/UBND-CN (with attached documents) reporting to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to submit to the Government to demarcate prohibited areas and areas temporarily prohibited from sand and gravel mining activities on riverbeds in Thanh Hoa province.

In addition, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Thanh Hoa also issued 1,429 documents in response, guiding organizations and individuals applying for mineral exploitation licenses, reporting and advising the Provincial People's Committee on issues related to mineral exploitation activities. In which, the Provincial People's Committee was advised on a number of directive documents such as: Official Dispatch No. 7114/UBND-CN dated May 24, 2023 of the Provincial People's Committee sent to provincial departments, branches, and district People's Committees on strengthening management and price control, preventing tax losses in mineral exploitation activities and removing obstacles related to land and construction materials to implement construction investment projects in the province.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment has also established a team to inspect the sand and gravel mining activities on riverbeds for 15 licensed sand mines in the province. The inspection results have been reported in Report No. 71/BC-STNMT dated May 20, 2023 to the Provincial People's Committee; 4 surprise inspections were organized according to the press and people's feedback on sand and gravel mining activities in the area, the inspection results were promptly reported to the Provincial People's Committee for direction and implementation.

Conducted 23 surprise inspections under the direction of the Provincial People's Committee, information reflected by newspapers, radio stations, and people about the situation of mineral activities in the province. The inspection results were promptly reported to the Provincial People's Committee, the press, radio stations, and people; promptly corrected and handled violations in mineral activities in the area.

Through inspections and checks, the Department has detected and promptly handled or recommended handling of many violating organizations and individuals, contributing to preventing and repelling illegal mining, transportation and trading of minerals in the province.

Regarding the results of handling violations: The total number of violations of organizations and individuals discovered through review (through feedback from the press, people...), the total amount of fines for violations is 1,362,640,000 VND.

Removing difficulties, soon putting auctioned mines into operation

Currently, there are 41 remaining land mines, with a total exploitation capacity (excluding mines directly supplying highways) of about 3 million m3/year, which does not meet the demand for filling materials for infrastructure works in the province. Meanwhile, in 2023, the Provincial People's Committee successfully auctioned and issued a Decision to recognize the results of 20 land filling mines: Estimated reserves and resources: 42,387,094 m3; 15 construction stones: Estimated reserves and resources: 32,256,546 m3; 1 construction sand mine: Estimated reserves and resources: 60,000 m3.

However, the auctioned mines still have to complete the exploration documents, approval of the owner, land lease, forest conversion, etc., so up to now, no mine that won the auction in 2023 has been granted an exploitation license. Therefore, the reason for the lack of supply of filling materials for projects in the area is because the exploitation capacity of the licensed mines is small, not meeting the demand, while the newly auctioned mines have not been granted an exploitation license because they have to carry out the procedures and licensing procedures according to regulations, which takes a lot of time, leading to a shortage of supply of filling materials.

Mr. Nguyen The Hung - Head of the Department of Natural Resources and Minerals (Department of Natural Resources and Environment) said: In order to promptly meet the supply of filling materials in 2024 and the following years, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment will continue to guide and urge the winning bidders to speed up the completion of documents and request the Provincial People's Committee to speed up the approval and acceptance of the winning bid projects, and at the same time direct relevant sectors and units to speed up the appraisal process, shorten administrative procedures to soon grant mining licenses and put the mines into operation.

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