PPC has approved a statement of draft resolution on environmental protection charges to mining acts in the province to Provincial People’s Council for consideration and decision. If this resolution was approved, the province would have more funds to invest in environmental protection activities around mining areas.
Ensuring stable revenues
Leaders of Department of Natural Resources - Environment said, the Government issued Decree No. 74/2011/ND-CP dated Aug 25th 2011 on environmental protection charges for mineral exploitation. Earlier this year, the Government issued Decree No. 12/2016/ND-CP dated Feb 19th 2016 on environmental protection charges for mineral exploitation. Mr. Nguyen Hong Nguyen, Deputy Director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said after reviewing, environmental protection charges for mining activities under Decree No. 12/2016/ND-CP in Binh Duong had no change. Particularly, charge for stone as normal building materials has increased from 500 - 3,000 VND/m3 to 1,000 – 5,000 m3.
Mining acts at a quarry in Di An Town
In order to not cause any disruptions to economic activities in the province, provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment proposed not to change this charge as Resolution 12/2012/NQ-HDND8 of the 8th Provincial People’s Council. In fact, environmental protection charges for mineral exploitation of Binh Duong is still lower than the frame of Decree No. 12/2016/ND-CP of the Government.
Additional revenues serving environmental protection works
According to provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, in case of mining a mineral but also obtaining minerals other than the licensed mineral, collected fees and charges will be calculated based on the mineral licensed by state agencies. Cases do not have to pay charges, including organizations and individuals mining minerals as common construction materials in the area under land use rights of households and individuals to build works of these households and individuals in that area. There were also cases of mined stones, soils for land leveling, construction of security, military, natural disasters recovery and mitigation projects…
According to Mr. Nguyen, mining activities affect not only at the exploitation site but also the surrounding environment. Therefore, to gather resources for environmental protection and investments in areas affected by mining activities, the department proposed that 100% collected environmental protection fees would be allocated to provincial state budget and districts, towns and cities based on the annual budget estimates.
In fact, mining activities have damaged roads, generated dust in the process of extraction, transportation, and caused siltation, landslides at estuaries, canals, streams... This has upset the people living around areas where minerals are exploited. Recently, Department of Natural Resources and Environment suggested that these charges would be used for maintenance, repair and upgrade of bridges, roads, inter-communal and inter-district paths, provincial roads and routes affected by the exploitation and transportation of minerals; dredging, maintenance of canals, streams and ditches where having mining activities; and planting trees along roads where having exploited mineral deposits. The department also proposed additional funds for the irrigation along routes involved exploitation; additional investments in water supply systems for households affected by mining activities...
Reported by Xuan Vi – Translated by Ngoc Huynh
