THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it hopes to launch its digital application platform to all regions next year.
“We have rolled out our digital application process in three regions… pagka okay na lahat ’yan (when the trial is complete), we will roll out to all the regions,” DENR Undersecretary Carlos Primo C. David told reporters during a forum organized by the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines on Thursday.
He added that the platform promises to expedite the application process for mining permits.
Mr. David said the digitalized process will also cover Environmental Compliance Certificates and other permits.
The DENR estimates that digitalization will cut down the approval process for mining permits by at least two or three years.
“(Our) first commitment is less than two years for any application. I know that is still quite long, but some miners would cite six to 11 years needed for approval,” Mr. David said.
The DENR said it will adopt parallel processing of mining permits by next year, instead of a serial process of approvals. This means that all requirements not needing pre-requisites will be processed simultaneously.
In a Senate budget hearing last week, the DENR said it is planning to issue at least 715 mining contracts, assuming the applications are fully compliant.
Mr. David said the DENR will propose a draft executive order (EO) to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to clear up duplication in mining laws.
“There is also the issue of conflicting interpretations of the law on mining royalties, which needs to be addressed, through the EO,” he added.
Legislators are set to deliberate a measure that will boost the government’s share of mining industry profits through a simplified five-tier royalty tax system.
Senate Bill No. 2826, proposes a five-tier windfall profit system that charges 1-10%. It will require large-scale miners operating in mineral reservations to pay a royalty of 5% based on gross output.
Mining firms currently pay corporate income tax, excise tax, royalty, local business tax, real property tax, and fees to indigenous communities. — Adrian H. Halili