Friday, September 19, 2008 Mining investors want 'simpler' procedures to acquire permits By Joy Romares-Sevilla
MINDANAO Business Council (MinBC) chair Vicente Lao said Thursday the length of time in the approval of mining application and the slow entry of investments are among the issues and concerns that need to be given attention by the government.
Lao said during the opening of the Mindanao Mining Consultative Forum at the Waterfront Insular Hotel in Davao City that mining investors are seeking for "simpler procedures" for mining permits.
"The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines Geosciences Bureau (MGB) are tasked to streamline the process of application for mining permits, particularly on the (acquisition) of the Environmental Compliance Certificate," Lao said during his speech.
"From 103 mining permit applications in Southern Mindanao alone, only three have been submitted by the region's MGB to their central office for clearance. The number of requirements had been reduced, however, mining projects still continue to drag," he added.
Lao further said regional directors of the MGB should be allowed to approve exploration permits at
their level upon submission of the documents completed by an investor.
"It should also take into consideration the track record and past performance of an applicant in granting a permit," he said.
Lao also asserted that through this, more opportunities for mining are opened and it prevents opportunistic parties from taking advantage of the fact that it takes a long time for the system to process even a simple exploration permit.
Lao said the conduct of fora like the Mindanao Mining Forum should be intensified and there should be an active sharing of information among the government agencies and the private sectors involved.
"The private sector has been doing efforts for the revitalization of the mining industry, the support of the government is still needed," he said.
Lao said that at the end of the forum, MinBC expects to produce a list of issues and gaps in the industry and to consolidate investment opportunities.
