Revolutionary Change in the Subsoil Code Meeting with the Minister of Environment UKRAINE Semerak ON ISSUES IN REGULATION subsoil
Today, as part of another professional discussion forum "The Future of gas Ukraine" held a meeting of the companies that have joined the Association of gas producing companies of Ukraine, Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine Semerak, people's deputies of Ukraine and representatives of NGOs.
Roman Opimakh executive director of a number of topical issues outlined in the subsoil rules that block the development of the industry.
First of all the issue of selective acquisition of subsoil use. Over the past 6 years has sold at auction 12% of the 170 licenses lion's share of these licenses seemed at non- transparent procedure as integral property complex (MCC). So today the question of resource efficiency for other purposes such subsoil users. Today the market is 140 licensees, while the Association of 8 companies producing 95% of natural gas in the country. Critical is organizing and holding auctions on an equal footing both for private and for public companies.
Today, one of the obstacles delaying the building industry are regional councils issuing special permits companies to carry out exploration and mining resources. Over the past two years the trend only worsened, and this year the issuance of special permits, in particular in Poltava, stopped completely. Hazovydobuvnyky left alone with this problem with local authorities, in which there is no motivation to cooperate. Therefore, companies have repeatedly stated support of the bill N3038, which changes the rules for allocation of rent subsoil users and is 5% of rents in local budgets. In addition, the solution is important for the liberalization of land legislation that provided for in the bill N3096.
Industry expects decisions to change the approach to the issue of overpricing auctioned special permits and assessment of geological information, obtained during the Soviet era.
One of the key problems of the meeting were issues related to the current regulatory climate for subsoil users. Roman Opimakh stressed that today the licensing and conciliation is difficult and costly in terms of time and money. Today, market participants must go through 19 agencies receive more than 66 agreements and it takes at least 36 months. In this context, also raised the issue of outdated basic legislation in this area, including rules development oil and gas fields, operating from the Soviet Union. In particular there are observed on stored legislation archaic norm exceeding the limit of production volume production programs approved by more than 5%. An important aspect is also a requirement for regular assessments of stocks and threatening plans to introduce a separate surcharge for dorozvidani store that does not motivate subsoil users to invest in the most risky stage projects - search and seismic. We talked about opening access to the database of geological information.
As a result, the executive director of the Association said that the industry is ready for a revolutionary change in the Subsoil Code. "Today, it is vital that appeared in the Constitution for subsoil users, which will bring together all the regulations in the field of mineral resources and stabilize a number of key processes, including such important as auctions and others.
His statement in response to the problems voiced by the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources O.Semerak began with what he called the main problem of the current state of the sphere of subsoil use - the old corrupt rule "habits" that operated in this market. However, the Minister said that currently worked out ideas how to change that. He noted the importance of joint steps deputies Association, representatives of foreign embassies to join efforts in working out changes to the regulatory environment, the development of transparent rules of the auction, without preferences for one or other market participants. "The philosophy that is practiced Ministry reduced to fair, transparent auctions without any preferences," - said O.Semerak.