Many shortcomings, difficult to overcome the shortage of construction materials

According to the monitoring results just ended on April 14 by the Economic Committee of the National Assembly, the scarcity of leveling materials for the North-South expressway construction project is still going on. This situation also occurs in many key projects, affecting the progress of project implementation.

Mr. Lai Hong Thanh, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Geology and Minerals (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) Representative of state management agency on minerals, Mr. Lai Hong Thanh, Deputy Director of General Department of Geology and Minerals (MONRE) shared with SGGP Newspaper reporter about the management of exploration and mineral exploitation across the country today. * Reporter: Sir, the scarcity of leveling materials for the North-South expressway project is no longer a new problem. Government leaders, many ministries, branches and localities also joined in, but the situation has not improved much. What do you think? – Mr. LAI HONG THANH: As a key national project, which has been prepared and implemented since 2017, the North-South expressway project has received special attention from the National Assembly, the Government and relevant agencies. favorable conditions for deployment. However, in some sections of the route, the locality is facing difficulties with materials for construction. It is estimated that the total demand for the whole route will need about 60.7 million m³ of embankment land; 21.5 million m³ of rocks of all kinds and 10.8 million m³ of sand. In the process of project formulation, technical design, design consultant surveyed and proposed to use material mines. Some mines in many localities are being implemented well, but there are also a number of mines that have not met the demand for many reasons: the transportation distance is too far, leading to high cost, not timely supply; Some mines have expired, are waiting for renewal … Besides, there are mines in the local planning that are implementing mining licensing procedures, but according to the current law, the process is , the procedure takes quite a long time. Before the North-South expressway project was implemented, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment issued Circular No. 01/2016 / TT-BTNMT technical regulations on the exploration of river-bed sand and gravel and rock for leveling materials. fill. This Circular simplifies the technical method and volume of exploration works, thereby shortening the time for licensing exploration and exploitation. Recently, the ministry has also issued Document No. 1488 / BTNMT-ĐCKS dated March 29, 2016 on licensing exploration and exploitation of minerals as common building materials for expressway projects. We have also instructed the provincial People’s Committee to apply the Mineral Law in the direction: construction works can take the excavated soil to convert to the embankment within the service scope of that work without having to apply for a permit. … * Some localities say that even after applying regulations to facilitate businesses, it is still too long to be licensed for exploration and mining? – Law on Minerals 2010 has been implemented for more than 10 years, there are points to be adjusted and the above mentioned case (exploration and exploitation of minerals as common building materials) is one of the points that need to be amended. . In the immediate future, I propose to the competent authority, here the National Assembly, to consider and issue a separate resolution following the simplified procedures on the order of procedures for exploration and exploitation of mines for the project. this. However, the implementation progress depends greatly on the locality, because the Provincial People’s Committee is the authority to approve and grant exploration and exploitation permits. * How about the possibility of using thermal power plant ash or using construction waste to build roads, sir? – In my opinion, it is necessary to evaluate the environmental impact of using ash and slag in thermal power plants. But even if it can be used, the amount of this offset is also negligible compared to the huge demand of the expressway project. * The 2010 Law on Minerals has brought into play a positive effect over the years, but the law has also revealed a number of shortcomings that need improvement. Can you elaborate on these shortcomings and is the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment expected to submit to the Government and the National Assembly for amendments to the law? – Currently, we are evaluating and summarizing the implementation of the Mineral Law 2010 and have identified a number of shortcomings. That is, do not specify the joint venture or association in mineral exploitation activities; there is no uniform regulation with the law on investment to control when there is a change in the capital of the enterprise owner that has been granted a license for mineral exploration and exploitation; responsibilities of organizations and individuals exploiting minerals after being licensed for exploitation in monitoring and supervising the actual exploited output; responsibility for coordinating mineral management in the areas bordering areas between provinces and cities (especially for sand minerals, river-bed gravel) … After a comprehensive assessment, we will take the next steps to submit to the authorities to include the amendment and supplement of the Mineral Law into the law building program, possibly 2022 or 2023. * Thank you Sir!