Confiscate mineral exploitation funds if enterprises do not return land

(Baonghean) -Mr. Truong Minh Hoang - Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment discussed withOn State management of land reclamation and restoration of the status quo when exploiting mineral resources.

-Is it because mining enterprises do not fulfill their commitments to reclaim land and restore the current status because there are no sanctions or strong measures against them?

Mr. Truong Minh Hoang:I think, when carrying out mineral resource exploitation projects today, the exploiting unit must deposit with the State. That fund must be commensurate with the cost of compensation and restoration of the current situation. When the exploiting enterprise deposits, the State keeps that money, and after the exploitation is completed, the enterprise must compensate the current situation as committed before they can withdraw that money.

Mr. Truong Minh Hoang - Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment

In case the enterprise does not do it, the State will use that fund to hire people to do it. If the commitment is only made in normal documents, it will be very difficult to ask the enterprise to fulfill the commitment after they have finished exploiting.

In cases where a large deposit is required to be paid, causing difficulties for the enterprise, the authorities can facilitate them by obtaining the enterprise's account number, then agreeing with each other that if the commitment is not fulfilled after mining, the authorities will ask the authorities to freeze this account.

-What is the responsibility of local authorities when enterprises are procrastinating and avoiding responsibility for land reclamation and restoration of the status quo after mining, sir?

Mr. Truong Minh Hoang:First of all, we must see which agency is responsible for the project. There are mineral exploitation projects managed by ministries and only coordinated by localities. In my opinion, the responsibility for a mineral exploitation project that does not restore the land or restore the current status quo lies primarily with the project owner.

As for how to manage and coordinate to monitor and control implementation, it is possible to coordinate with localities, and have to spend a certain amount of money for them to manage in parallel, because not all mining projects are managed by localities. For example, large mining projects are managed by ministries and branches, while there are mining projects licensed and managed at the provincial and district levels.

A mine in Quy Hop. Photo VT

To control that issue, transparency is needed, for example, how much reserves are exploited, how much area is exploited, where is the location, from where to where, there must be a diagram, a map posted publicly for people to know, only then can timely control be done. After the exploitation is completed, the land reclamation and compensation must also be made public, if the enterprise does not fulfill its commitment, local people can report to the authorities not to move the machinery and vehicles to another place.

NN