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THE Chamber of Mines of the Philippines said members
would abide by a new rule requiring permits before shipping their
output.
Benjamin Philip Romualdez, the
chamber president, said mining companies are amenable to obtaining
permits for their mineral exports from the Department and
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR earlier explained this is
necessary to ensure that minerals are from officially permitted
sources, that mining companies pay correct taxes and that the
correct information about the exports is declared.
Romualdez said this development
would be an effective mechanism for the government to monitor and
regulate minerals coming in and out of the country in line with its
efforts to curb smuggling and harmonize export and import data.
The chamber, however, is
suggesting that the DENR should designate someone who would
concentrate on the issuance of export permits.
This set up would fast-track
approvals of mineral export permits and would avoid unnecessary
delays, Romualdez said.
The energy secretary would be
tasked to spearhead the review and handing out of these permits.
“Environment Secretary Lito
Atienza has a lot of work to do [at the DENR] and adding this task
to his many responsibilities may overburden him,” Romualdez said.
The chamber also lauded the
government’s recent efforts to safeguard mining sites, especially
in Mindanao, where rebel groups have been attacking mining firms in
the last few months.
Romualdez said the Minerals
Development Council has created a special committee on security
concerns headed by the Department of Interior and Local Government
together with the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the
Philippines and Department of National Defense, to ensure the
security of mining companies threatened by armed groups.
Romualdez also said that
President Arroyo assured during a National Competitiveness Council
meeting that local government units (LGUs) can collect their share
of excise tax revenues collected from mining firms operating in
their areas.
Arroyo promised that LGUs would
take one-and-half months to finally receive their share from
collections, he said.
Sixty percent of the total excise
taxes paid by mining firms are remitted to the national government,
while the remaining 40 percent are distributed among LGUs hosting
mining sites.
According to Romualdez, this
development would soften resistance from many communities, which
have complained that the benefits from mining operations in their
areas do not trickle down to them.
The chamber official said there
is “generally a strong interest in funding mining projects.”
The recent significant drop in
fuel prices also has a good impact on mining activities, he said.
Romualdez said Philippine exports
of gold, copper and chromite are still strong. He, however, admitted
that nickel exports are slowing down due to a huge drop in nickel
prices, prompting China to stop buying low-grade nickel from the
Philippines and elsewhere to utilize its local stock.
Large-scale mining activities are
also in the pipeline, Romualdez said, adding that the Philippines is
still a competitive and well-positioned location for mining.
He said the Philippines is lately
getting more foreign direct investments in the mining sector than
its neighbors.
--Ben Arnold O. De Vera
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