The People’s Committee of Kien Giang Province on October 18 asked the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to stop all mining projects of the Tan Kien Company at the Hon Soc quarry.
Earlier, inspectors from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Kien Giang Province had proposed to the provincial People’s Committee to penalize the company with a very heavy fine of hundreds of million VND for violating regulations on mine exploration.
Tan Kien Industrial Investment Joint Stock Company had been granted a mining license in 2009 for the Hon Soc quarry. However, till today the company has not even set up the basic infrastructure required for the project.
Instead the company has sub-let the task to other companies to mine the Hon Soc quarry without seeking permission from local authorities.
Currently, Ho Kim Vang Company, a private enterprise is mining at the quarry.
In related news, forest management officials in Tuy Phuoc District of Binh Dinh Province seized 2,742 kilograms of precious timber from Mai Van Ngoc’s house, a resident of Luat Chanh village in Phuoc Hiep commune.
Ngoc was unable to prove to the forest officials that he had the required documents to possess the wood.
The case is still under further investigation.
