After three months of his possession, the president of the National Mining Agency (ANM), Álvaro Pardo, revealed details of an X-ray that was carried out on the entity’s operation, which revealed various irregularities in mining titles delivered. in previous years, millionaire resources receivable and acts of corruption and inefficiency on the part of officials.
(Mineral production fell to 78% in the first semester).
It was found that 1,816 titles granted overlap with restricted or excludable mining areas. Therefore, they will be reviewed and if they do not comply with the legal obligations, sanctioning processes will be carried out that, eventually, could lead to an expiration.
The president of the ANM also revealed that, after his arrival, between 30 and 40 officials withdrew from the entity for multiple reasons such as inefficiency in their work and acts of corruption, for which reason several of these cases are already under Internal Disciplinary Control. Even the case of a person who worked at a regional service point is already in the hands of the Attorney General’s Office.
(Tax: recommended adjustments for mining-energy contributions).
In line with the purpose of saving resources, international travel has also been cut, long-term commissions and unnecessary purchases, among other issues. In addition, one of the three floors that the ANM currently occupies at its main headquarters in Bogotá will be delivered.
Mining titles with irregularities
Of the nearly 7,200 mining titles in force nationwide, the ANM evaluated a sample of 1,816 that overlap with restricted or excludable mining areas and found that 48 percent (878) do not have an environmental instrument or have not been reviewed.
In addition, 77 percent (1,404) do not meet the Basic Mining Format requirement or have not been reviewed and only 9 percent (169) have been reviewed and meet all the royalty format requirements.
After a review process, the ANM found that 21 titles already present completion annotation in the National Mining Registry (RMN) between the months of October and November 2022. Of these, four overlap in excludable areas, 12 overlap in restricted areas and five have overlap in excludable and restricted areas. In addition, there are 125 mining titles already have signed resolutions of expiration, resignation or termination in the process of notification and enforcement.
“We are going to start requesting them for information, and if they do not send it, we proceed to expire contracts or to cut the areas that are within restricted zones. We are going to cut it ex officio, we are not going to wait for the owner to come to fight “added the president of the ANM.
Millions of resources receivable
Multiple mining owners in the country owe the ANM more than 303,376 million pesos for royalties, according to figures as of October 31, 2022. Of this amount, those over three years old amount to more than 250,000 million pesos.
“Royalty debts do not prescribe, so we are strengthening the Coercive Collection area because we are going to go out and collect the royalties that are owed to the State”said Álvaro Pardo.
Additionally, there are other pending obligations for payments of Surface Canon, fines and other concepts that amount to 271,879 million pesos.
“In the entity there are difficulties in receiving, processing, managing and responding to very large documents. The data, in my opinion, is serious”, said the president of the ANM.
This affirmation is based on the nearly 47,000 files pending processing, without response; about 190,000 registered with uncertainty in management, because the respective exit registered is missing; and 4,900 evaluations of degree proposals, 1,000 procedures for modifications to mining titles and 5,400 official letters of pending notification procedures.
(This is the new proposal for taxation of the energy mining sector).
Another finding is that there were inconsistent job assignments between ANM managers, which generated overlapping functions and/or gaps that do not facilitate management.
This is added to the existence of multiple systems and providers that are not interconnected, which generates high support and maintenance costs and risks in their administration and management. Therefore, next year the ANM will seek to unify all the information systems of the entity in a single platform.
LINA QUIROGA BLONDE
Economy and business
