By Rea Cu - February 28, 2017
THE Mining Industry
Coordinating Council (MICC) technical working group (TWG) should know for sure
by Friday this week how much it will cost to go over the mining contracts
ordered closed or suspended by the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), according to Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III.
At a news briefing in Malacañang on
Tuesday, Dominguez said the MICC TWG will meet this Friday to present the
estimated cost necessary to pursue the review.
“We need to have a plan as how to
help the municipalities and finding jobs for the workers, [a plan] that is
implementable and well-funded,” according to Dominguez.
Earlier, the MICC issued Resolution
6, which seeks to create the review team that will further study the mining
contracts and completing the review in under three months.
“The review shall be based on the
guidelines and parameters set forth in the specific mining contract and in
other pertinent laws, taking into account the valid exercise of the State’s
police power to serve the common good of the poor,” the MICC resolution said.
Finance Undersecretary Bayani H.
Agabin said the organizational meeting of the multistakeholder review team has
agreed on the composition, scope and process under which the mining contracts
review will be done.
“We want to make sure that due
process is observed and specified that the law has been followed,” Dominguez
added.
According to Bureau of Local
Government Finance (BLGF) estimates, the closed and suspended operations of 28
mining sites across the country will cost 17 cities and municipalities in 10
provinces at least P821 million annually in foregone revenues.
The Department of Finance added that
three municipalities will lose revenues a little over 50 percent of their
current operating income if the affected mine sites are forced to suspend
operations. The estimates do not include yet the projected income losses of the
LGUs that host 75 mine sites whose mineral production sharing agreements
(MPSAs) were ordered cancelled, but mainly focused on the initial 28 sites.
“Whether or not the mines affected
would want to file a case is up to them,” he told reporters.
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