Debt to the state as compensation for mineral materials’ use in Serbia amounts around 4,5 billion dinars- Minister of Natural Resources, Milan Bacevic stated. He said on the public discussion about the Draft of the Law for Geological Research and Mining in Belgrade that “owners are exactly the companies that have previously bought active mines that are not working at the moment”, he stressed that intention is to improve working conditions and opening of new mines through law changes.
Owners of active mines have also big debts, but at least they are active. Our wish is that every mine able for exploitation to be activated no matter if owner is private company or state- Bacevic said.
He stated that this is one of the reasons for adopting the new law for geological research and mining that would predict more flexible conditions of research and business. The intention is to activate existing mines in order to make more acceptable and better conditions for opening new mines.
-Big number of privatized mines in Serbia is not working. We have to find a way to activate these mines because if they hadn’t some potential, they would not be privatized- Bacevic said.
Idea of the state is to make conditions to launch mining production within strategic partnership.
Bacevic stressed that advantage in strategic partnership will be forever in companies that have good technology and will process materials in Serbia.
-We want to process all these materials here and to develop mining at much higher level and to employ bigger number of people within improvement of technical and technological conditions- Serbian Minister of Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning said.
Minister announced that fee for geological research will be decreased for three times by autumn.
He said in the Draft of the Law for Geological Research and Mining in Belgrade that agreement for compensation decrease to 700 EUR from current 2.000 EUR per hectare with Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management is achieved.
Source;Serbia Energy Mining desk
