Stricter rules needed to manage mining right-related auctions

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on November 11 issued Dispatch 1087/CD-TTg, requiring the strengthening of management over the implementation of auctions for mining rights, especially for minerals used as common building materials.

Under the Dispatch, the Prime Minister noted that, many localities have recently organized public and transparent auctions to grant mining rights, achieving many positive results, and contributing to generating large revenues for local budgets.

However, in Hanoi, outcomes of the recent auctions for mining rights of three sand mines of Lien Mac, Chau Son and Tay Dang - Minh Chau showed abnormal signs, as the winning price was many times higher than the starting price, thus causing public concerns as well as possible negative effects on socio-economic development and the construction material market.

Hence, the cabinet leader requested the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee to instruct the immediate examination of the entire process of surveying, evaluating mine reserves, preparing documents and organizing auctions related to the three sand mines, in order to promptly detect and strictly handle any violation of regulations in mining right auctions, prevent acts of taking advantage of auctions to push up prices and cause market disturbance, and report the results to the Prime Minister before November 20, 2023.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment was required to preside and coordinate with the Ministries of Finance, Construction, and Justice and provincial-level People's Committees to urgently inspect the organization of mining rights auctions, especially for minerals used as common building materials, that show unusual signs; promptly detect inadequacies in legal regulations with a view to fixing them to prevent profiteering; strictly handle acts of taking advantage of auctions to cause market disturbance; and propose solutions to limit negative impacts.

The Ministry of Public Security was tasked with directing local polices to promptly detect, prevent, and strictly handle violations of legal regulations in mining rights auctions.