Decision 1277/QD-TTg 2023 approving national mineral reserve areas

DECISION

Approving national mineral reserve areas^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government; and the November 22, 2019 Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Organization of the Government and the Law on Organization of Local Administration;

Pursuant to the November 17, 2010 Mineral Law;

Pursuant to the Political Bureau’s Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW of February 10, 2022, on strategic orientations on geology, minerals and the mining industry through 2030, with a vision toward 2045;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 51/2021/ND-CP of April 1, 2021, on management of minerals in national mineral reserve areas;

Pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 334/QD-TTg of April 1, 2023, approving the Strategy for geology, minerals and the mining industry through 2030, with a vision toward 2045;

At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve 93 national mineral reserve areas for 10 types of minerals, specifically as follows:

1. Thermal coal: 2 areas.

2. Apatite ores: 2 areas.

3. Lead-zinc ores: 1 area.

4. Chromite ores: 03 areas.

5. Titanium ores: 14 areas.

6. Bauxite ores: 23 areas.

7. Iron-laterite ores: 14 areas.

8. White marble: 17 areas.

9. White sand: 15 areas.

10. Rare earth ores: 2 areas.

Details of coordinates, area, depth, natural resources, deposits and reserve period of each national mineral reserve area are provided in the Appendix to this Decision.

Article 2. In the reserve period of national mineral reserve areas specified in Article 1 of this Decision, the management and protection of unexploited minerals; and the implementation of investment projects in national mineral reserve areas must comply with the Government’s Decree No. 51/2021/ND-CP of April 1, 2021, on management of minerals in national mineral reserve areas, the mineral law and the following provisions:

1. Mineral prospecting licenses and mineral mining licenses that are granted by competent authorities before the date of issuance of this Decision but not for the minerals specified in Article 1 of this Decision will remain valid and must comply with the mineral law.

2. For areas with minerals other than those specified in Article 1 of this Decision that have been included in the relevant master plans on minerals but not yet been licensed for prospecting or mining or not yet been included in the relevant master plans on minerals, they can be included in relevant master plans and licensed for prospecting or mining in accordance with the mineral law provided that such does not affect minerals already included in national mineral reserve areas.

Article 3. Organization of implementation

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall:

a/ Assume the prime responsibility for and coordinate with related provincial-level People’s Committees in, publicizing the approved national mineral reserve areas specified in Article 1 of this Decision;

b/ Hand over dossiers of delimitation of national mineral reserve areas to provincial-level People’s Committees of the localities in which national mineral reserve areas are located for management and protection under regulations;

c/ Take full responsibility for reports, data and proposals of delimitation of mineral reserve areas.

2. Provincial-level People’s Committees of the localities in which national mineral reserve areas are located shall:

a/ Receive and manage dossiers of delimitation of national mineral reserve areas handed over by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment under regulations;

b/ Update relevant information and documents about national mineral reserve areas in plans on protection of minerals not yet exploited in the localities; organize the management and protection of minerals not yet exploited within national mineral reserve areas under Article 2 of this Decision, including also areas with natural resources and reserves in which geological baseline surveys of minerals and exploration of minerals have been conducted but which are not delimited to be national mineral reserve areas identified in dossiers of delimitation of national mineral reserve areas;

c/ Update, supplement and adjust land use master plans and plans and relevant master plans on minerals in localities and submit them to competent authorities for approval.

Article 4. Effect

1. This Decision takes effect on the date of signing, and replaces the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 645/QD-TTg of May 6, 2014, approving national mineral reserve areas.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees of the localities in which national mineral reserves are located, and related organizations and individuals shall organize the implementation of this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
TRAN HONG HA

* The Appendix to this Decision is not translated.