The following recommendations, emerging from the proceedings at the “20 years in the modern mineral sector” forum, have been sent to members of parliament, the President’s Office, and cabinet members.
The government and the private sector
• The government and the private sector must be separate, each in its own space.
• The government will be responsible for registering, executing laws and regulations, inspection and comprehensive overseeing.
• The private sector will be responsible for manufacturing and trading and for the risks entailed.
• Government owned companies will be privatised.
Prospecting
• There should be widespread support for prospecting in its different phases.
• Geological research and resource development in the mineral sector must be given high priority, so that we get a clearer and more accurate picture of our mining reserves. A fund for the expenses on geological research and prospecting will be created from mining income, including taxes and licence fees.
• Places where mining is to be prohibited should be identified and demarcated in a scientific way.
• All licences and contracts are to be granted strictly on the basis of open and transparently competitive auctioning.
• New and stricter conditions and regulations will govern the grant of prospecting licences, their proper usage and any subsequent transfer.
Environment and community care
• Make it mandatory to allot the major part of the tax income from mining companies active in rural areas to the local government, to be used on local development.
• Develop a blueprint which will ensure development of mining without damage to the environment. People must be convinced that mining does not have to be inconflict with protection of the environment.
• Strictly ensure that environmental requirements in place are followed, in letter and in spirit.
• Gradually stop private, individual mining, leading to its complete elimination.
• Operational and tax issues related to any mining project are to be regulated by agreements made between the project holder and designated representatives of local citizens.
Infrastructure
• Revise the railroad policy to bring it in sync with the imperatives of reaching mining products to economically profitable primary, secondary and tertiary markets.
• Establish a mineral stock exchange, initially to serve only such products as ores and coal.
Research, Training, Database
• Create an extensive database containing information on workers in the mining sector.
• Train and update skills of workers in the mining sector, with regular revision of the contents of phased training courses.
• Create a database and archive of companies.
• Earmark a certain percentage of the mining income to be spent on research and training.
• Build a mining industry complex, comprising a techno park,a university, and other components based on the principles of “Training and Industry”.
• Use government funds to conduct major studies, especially geophysical work.
• Take the lead to establish mineral research centres and laboratories as institutes of Private-Public Partnership.
Standards
• Nationalise the development sector and raise it to international standards.
• Develop national standards, involving all participants and providing government support.
Mining
• Give special attention to optimal utilisation of mineral deposits development projects.
• Establish a legal environment for assessing the measures of social responsibility implemented in the mining industry.
• Restrict mining operations without clearly proven commercial and technical viability. The onus will be on the developers to prove this viability on bothcounts.
Distribution of income
• Spend mining income to help develop the growth of a balanced and equitable economy, paying special attention to nurture domestic investment.
• Provide support to the domestic sector of the economy by, for example, encouraging increased domestic procurement and employment of local workers, and by judiciously restricting the number of foreign entities.
• Pay proper attention to issues raised by non-government organizations.
• Ensure continuity of policies, which must not be abandoned with change of government.