Speed up the licensing process for mineral exploitation as construction materials

The demand for common construction materials is very large, requiring increased exploitation at mineral mines in the city. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Great demand

The urbanization process is taking place strongly, the demand for infrastructure investment, construction of works, urban areas, industrial parks... is increasing, leading to great pressure on exploiting mineral resources for common construction materials.

The shortage and scarcity of construction materials mainly occurs in the old Da Nang city because there are few soil mines, no construction sand mines, and 8 stone mines will expire in 2025.

Currently, the demand for common construction materials in Da Nang city is very large. Many key projects, driving forces and large-scale construction works are simultaneously deployed, speeding up construction progress, but the mines have expired or have low reserves, leading to a passive supply of construction materials.

The licensing of mineral exploitation to meet material sources takes a relatively long time...

Head of the Minerals Department (Department of Agriculture and Environment) Nguyen Hong Song said that many investors, when surveying sources of common construction materials (soil, stone, sand, gravel), have not taken into account the exploitation period and reserves of mineral mines expected to be used for construction works and projects. At the same time, they have not proactively proposed to localities with projects or neighboring areas to obtain information and supplement planning, propose licensing for mineral exploration and exploitation, leading to a shortage of construction materials.

Besides, state management agencies and enterprises are still confused in the process of implementing legal regulations.

Synchronize multiple solutions

To solve the current shortage of common construction materials in Da Nang city, the Department of Agriculture and Environment has proposed the City People's Committee to direct the implementation of many solutions.

Da Nang City is implementing many solutions to provide common building materials for construction activities. Photo: HOANG HIEP

Accordingly, departments, branches, and localities urgently review and compile statistics on projects and constructions that generate excess soil, rock, sand, and gravel during the construction process to request investors and construction units to carry out documents and procedures for granting mineral recovery licenses according to regulations, in order to immediately supplement common construction materials.

At the same time, review and compile statistics on construction investment projects expected to be implemented by 2030 that require the use of earth fill, stone, and sand as common construction materials. Thereby, based on the planned mine sites, propose the City People's Committee and the Department of Agriculture and Environment to compile a list of mines to be auctioned or delimit areas where mineral exploitation rights are not auctioned to implement related procedures to promptly grant licenses and exploit projects on schedule...

In the immediate future, the Department of Agriculture and Environment requires businesses that have won the auction of 20 sand and gravel mines to urgently prepare documents and related procedures to soon be granted mining licenses by the city.

On the other hand, it is recommended that the City People's Committee allow businesses that have been granted 11 sand and gravel mining licenses to prepare documents and procedures to increase mining capacity to meet current market demand.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Song also said that currently, the decentralization of authority to grant mineral exploitation licenses from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to the provincial People's Committee is an important step forward, helping to shorten the process and increase the initiative of localities in this matter.

The city will promote administrative procedure reform in handling dossiers and procedures for granting mineral exploitation licenses, which will allow businesses to simultaneously carry out investment and environmental procedures... during the process of granting mineral exploitation licenses.

Along with that, review and supplement the land use plan, develop compensation and site clearance plans... at the same time as developing a plan to auction mineral exploitation rights under the licensing authority of the City People's Committee in accordance with actual usage needs...

“With the increasing pressure on the demand for minerals to serve the development of infrastructure, urban areas, industrial zones and key projects in the area, the state management of minerals requires urgent and effective solutions. The industry is focusing on implementing key groups of solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of mineral resource management, gradually overcoming the shortage of common construction materials, ensuring reasonable exploitation, economical and sustainable use, associated with the protection of resources, the environment and the long-term interests of the city,” said Mr. Nguyen Hong Song.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment proposed that the City People's Committee recommend the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to guide the transitional implementation for cases that have been demarcated and approved by the People's Committee of Quang Nam province (old) as areas where mineral exploitation rights are not auctioned to grant licenses for exploration and exploitation of common construction materials to supply for projects using state budget capital.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/day-nhanh-tien-do-cap-phep-khai-thac-khoang-san-lam-vat-lieu-xay-dung-3299318.html