THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said it plans to reduce the documentary requirements for applicants seeking various mining permits.
“Following the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to all government agencies to reduce the number of requirements in applying for permits, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has proposed to rationalize the requirements for the different types of mining applications,” the agency said in a statement over the weekend.
The streamlining will cover applications for exploration permits (EP), mineral production sharing agreements (MPSA), Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility (DMPF) reports, mineral processing permits (MPP), industrial sand and gravel permits (ISGP), operating agreements (OA), and deeds of assignment (DoA) for MPSAs.
From 19 and 10 documentary requirements for new and renewal of EPs, respectively, the requirements will be reduced to 15 and eight, respectively.
For renewal of MPSA, 16 documentary requirements will be lessened to six.
The 16 and nine documentary requirements for DMPFs for integrated MPSAs and EPs, respectively, the final requirement before an operation can start, will be cut to 15 and eight, respectively.
For renewal of MPPs, the 13 required documents will be reduced to 10.
For new and renewal of ISGPs, the 20 and 13 documentary requirements, respectively, will be cut to 16 and four, respectively.
Meanwhile, the seven documents required will be reduced to five for OAs; while the 13 documents required for DoAs will be cut to 10.
The streamlining proposal is being reviewed by MGB regional offices prior to publication. — Janina C. Lim
