MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. The issuance of licenses for placer gold under the simplified application principle will be canceled this year, but the prospecting licenses will remain, head of the Federal Agency for Mineral Resources (Rosnedra) Oleg Kazanov said in an interview with TASS.
According to Kazanov, over the years of the declarative principle, a very large array of placer licenses was formed, especially in recent years, when the gold prices spiked and more players entered this business.
"There are bona fide companies that operate honestly complying with current legislation, and there are those who behave in a different way. In the latter case, there are complaints about such subsurface users regarding compliance with license conditions, as well as their behavior towards local residents, nature, and non-compliance with environmental requirements. This is why, unfortunately, this has become widespread with respect to placer gold," he said.
"The declarative principle will indeed be discontinued as an easy way to obtain these licenses. Prospecting licenses will disappear, they are the base for development."
Kazanov said that licenses will be distributed on a competitive basis, and the requirements for this method are significantly higher than before.