Major mining violations found in Lao Cai

The Government Inspectorate has revealed mining management violations in Lao Cai Province that have caused losses of VND95.20 billion (US$4.15 million) to the State budget.

Mining activities in Lao Cai
Mining activities in Lao Cai

Deputy Inspector-General Nguyen Van Thanh has announced the results of the inspections over law enforcement in mineral exploitation, management and procession in Lao Cai from 2005 to 2015.

According to the inspectors, Lao Cai People's Committee didn't issue environmental protection regulations on time and several regulations about resource taxes weren't accurate. The provincial chairman, directors of the Department of Finance and the Department of Taxation during 2008-2012 period must take responsibility.

Suspicious activities in mine planning have been detected. 13 projects were listed with a total area were 197 hectares larger than what had been planned, encroaching upon agricultural and forest land. 11 other projects weren't included in the planning covered 65.40 hectares and violated the Law on Construction.

Another 31 projects didn't have any listed size or boundary. Many mining projects were allowed to operate for eight years while the time limit is three years.

According to the plan, the Minh Luong gold mining project was supposed to cover 21.18 hectares but the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment agreed to give a 112-hectares to the investor.

Lao Cai Department of Construction gave 3.77 hectares which were not in the plan to hotel projects. The provincial authorities violated the Law on Minerals when allowing investors of hotel projects to collect apatite.

The inspectors concluded that reports on investor experience and financial capacity weren't accurate, leading to stagnant and ineffective projects. Several investors illegally transferred their mining rights.

Vietnam Apatite Company has been in operation for years yet the authorities still haven't put up boundary markers as regulated. Its licence has also expired.

Lao Cai People's Committee also didn't issue required regulations on how to calculate environment tax from 2008 to 2011. 

"After inspecting six investors, many violations have been detected which caused over VND95.20 billion in losses to the state," the inspectorate wrote in the report.

The inspectorate proposed measures to recover the money and determine the individual responsibilities of the leaders of the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment during the 2009-2012 period.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh asked the provincial authorities, Government Inspectorate and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to collaborate to review the licenses granted to Minh Luong mining project.

Dtinews

Other News

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

The effectiveness of the Capital Law 2026 will be measured not by the number of legal documents issued but by tangible improvements in governance and public administration, better services for people and businesses, faster administrative procedures, stronger investment attraction and higher economic growth.

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Three teams from Chu Van An Secondary School in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province have earned First Prize honours and advanced to the quarterfinals at the ROBOG Asia Cup 2026, a regional robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) competition for students held in Hong Kong, China.

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

As of early June, Hanoi had attracted 74.6 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) through more than 9,250 valid projects. FDI inflows in the first six months were projected at 3.2 billion USD, surpassing the annual target by 116%, while nearly 16,000 new businesses were established in the first five months, up 34.4% year-on-year.

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam’s development and international integration have gone hand in hand with the improvement of its legal system, the incorporation of international commitments into domestic legislation, and legal reforms aimed at fostering development, openness and global integration. The country regards international law as an essential instrument for building fair, mutually beneficial relations among nations.

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

At the event, Hanoi authorities plan to grant investment policy decisions and investment registration certificates to 20 exemplary projects in the fields of transportation infrastructure, industrial parks, urban development, social housing, environment, science and technology, and foreign investment attraction.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Vietnam, China, Laos and Myanmar face common challenges as drug syndicates increasingly exploit the Mekong River, cross-border transport networks, e-commerce platforms, international logistics services, cyberspace and cryptocurrencies to organise drug transactions and smuggling operations.