PHNOM PENH, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia expects the exploitation of mineral resources will be begun in the next three years although only a few of licensed explorers are actively in operations, said a senior official in charge of mineral resources on Tuesday.
To date, the country has issued mineral resources exploration licenses to about 70 companies, said Tan Kim Vin, secretary of state of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, said Tuesday.
“But just around 13 companies have actively conducted the explorations and have compiled data they have found for exploitation license,” he said. “Others are slow or passive.”
“I foresee that some companies will begin mining exploitation in the next three years, especially the exploitation of metallic mineral, gold ore and bauxites,” he said.
The government sees the exploitation of mineral resources as a potential sector for driving up the economic growth.
“Today, the mining sector is the smallest sector in the Cambodian economy, contributed less than one percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),” he said. “The revenues are coming from land concessions to those explorers—I believe that the sector will contribute a lot to GDP growth when the exploitation starts.”
The country’s GDP in 2010 was 5.9 percent or 11 billion U.S. dollars.
He said that mining, oil and gas is one of the sectors getting incentives from the government of Cambodia.
“Based on Cambodian investment law, investors in the extractive industries will get a lot of advantages such as tax exemption for construction materials and machinery for building processing plants in Cambodia,” he said.
However, he said that the companies cannot export raw mineral resources from Cambodia to process abroad.
“We want investors to be processed those minerals in the country so that it can generate more jobs through processing plant establishment.”
Mam Sambath, chairman of Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency (CRRT), a new coalition of civil society organizations, on Tuesday agreed that the country could see the revenues from mineral resources in the next three or four years.
“It will be huge amount to contribute to the country’s growth if the management of revenues sharing and tax collection is transparent,” he said.
According to the report of CRRT, China is a leading country in the investment of mineral resources in Cambodia. “Among the 70 companies, there are 17 Chinese companies with 38 exploration projects in Cambodia,” it said.
The report showed that those companies from China, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Canada, U.S., France, Japan, and Vietnam as well as local companies.
They have been exploring gold ore, metallic minerals, titanium, bauxites, coal, and copper in Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Rattanakiri, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear, and oil and gas exploration offshore in the coastal Preah Sihanouk province. (Written by Nguon Sovan and Zhang Ruiling)
To date, the country has issued mineral resources exploration licenses to about 70 companies, said Tan Kim Vin, secretary of state of the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, said Tuesday.
“But just around 13 companies have actively conducted the explorations and have compiled data they have found for exploitation license,” he said. “Others are slow or passive.”
“I foresee that some companies will begin mining exploitation in the next three years, especially the exploitation of metallic mineral, gold ore and bauxites,” he said.
The government sees the exploitation of mineral resources as a potential sector for driving up the economic growth.
“Today, the mining sector is the smallest sector in the Cambodian economy, contributed less than one percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),” he said. “The revenues are coming from land concessions to those explorers—I believe that the sector will contribute a lot to GDP growth when the exploitation starts.”
The country’s GDP in 2010 was 5.9 percent or 11 billion U.S. dollars.
He said that mining, oil and gas is one of the sectors getting incentives from the government of Cambodia.
“Based on Cambodian investment law, investors in the extractive industries will get a lot of advantages such as tax exemption for construction materials and machinery for building processing plants in Cambodia,” he said.
However, he said that the companies cannot export raw mineral resources from Cambodia to process abroad.
“We want investors to be processed those minerals in the country so that it can generate more jobs through processing plant establishment.”
Mam Sambath, chairman of Cambodians for Resource Revenue Transparency (CRRT), a new coalition of civil society organizations, on Tuesday agreed that the country could see the revenues from mineral resources in the next three or four years.
“It will be huge amount to contribute to the country’s growth if the management of revenues sharing and tax collection is transparent,” he said.
According to the report of CRRT, China is a leading country in the investment of mineral resources in Cambodia. “Among the 70 companies, there are 17 Chinese companies with 38 exploration projects in Cambodia,” it said.
The report showed that those companies from China, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Canada, U.S., France, Japan, and Vietnam as well as local companies.
They have been exploring gold ore, metallic minerals, titanium, bauxites, coal, and copper in Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondolkiri, Rattanakiri, Pursat, Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Preah Vihear, and oil and gas exploration offshore in the coastal Preah Sihanouk province. (Written by Nguon Sovan and Zhang Ruiling)
No comments:
Post a Comment