Mining sector benefiting only a few: NC
Tshering Zam, ThimphuJun 24, 2016
National Council members said the country’s mining sector is benefiting only a few individuals.
MP Tashi Wangyal said a few private companies and individuals are exploiting the country’s natural resource even though the Constitution says it belongs to all the citizens.
“This creates a gap between wealthy and poor. It will hamper politics, economy, and country’s peace and prosperity in the future.”
Citing Royal Audit Authority Report 2014, he also said the sector suffered a loss of Nu 134 M due to corruption. The royalty to the government, on the other hand, was Nu 119 M annually.
But, the economic affairs minister, Lekey Dorji said the government is receiving 50 percent of the mining sector’s income.
“Mining sector not benefitting people is untrue.”
He cited RAA’s research which states 51 percent of earning from dolomite went to government from 2008-12.
The Upper House had called the minister for the second time this session to clarify issues related to mining sector.
As an individual citizen and mining professional it is my responsibility to comment on this article.
With the discussion as mentioned in this article I foresee that the contribution from the mining sector to plummet further in future once the leases of auction mines expires. Whatever the minister and the NC members are saying are both true. But the way everyone is trying to solve the problem shall further aggravate the problem.
Whatever is happening now is all because of the decisions made by the decision makers in the past. And the current decision makers are trying to make the mistake in a different manner, which will not do any good to the mining sector.