Vietnam decrees tighter control of mining industry
HANOI - Vietnam's leadership has decided that there should be "stronger management of mines" to stem the waste of mineral resources and to better regulate exports, an official decree received here Tuesday said.The decree, issued in the name of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, noted that mineral exploitation and processing lacked planning and led to rapid exhaustion of resources.
"Mineral exploitation is mainly for the export of crude minerals, leading to exhaustion and waste of the country's mineral resources," it said. "The reason for the situation is weak state management over mineral resources ... in some localities, people's committees even allow the exploitation of mineral resources for ordinary construction materials," it added.
Vietnam has been notching up steady economic growth over the past decade, with GDP growth of about seven percent annually. Although the situation is unlike in China where thousands of mining deaths are reported every year, fatal mine accidents do occur regularly in Vietnam, where safety regulations are often ignored in both public and private sector operations. Vietnamese authorities have often complained about accidents, social evils and environmental pollution in areas where gold and coal are illegally exploited, mostly in northern and central areas.
Agence France Presse - April 12, 2005
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