OREANDA-NEWS. July 23, 2013. The Chamber of Auditors (CC) considered an audit report on the relevant authorities’ implementation of an adequate mechanism in using the underground in order to efficiently and rationally manage Moldova’s useful mineral resources.

The control carried out by the audit pointed out the existence of some issues, deficiencies and irregularities regarding the organisation and rational management of the underground.

The audit was carried out at the Environment Ministry and at three institutions subordinated to it, as well as at the Licensing Chamber and at 33 underground beneficiaries. According to the CC, the audit confirmed that a string of legal norms were not elaborated, whereas others were under promotion. Thus, out of 19 regulatory norms set in the Environment Ministry’s activity plans since 2009, only 10 have been approved, seven of which with a delay from 1 to 2.5 years and other five normative documents being under promotion, whereas four of them are still not elaborated.

A negative impact on the rational use of the underground had the inadequate activity of the state commission for reserves of useful widespread minerals.

It was also ascertained that the local public administration institutions frequently tolerated the illegal extraction of mineral resources from the locally used pits. Thus, 34.3 million-lei-prejudice was caused to the environment in 2010-2012 due to the illegal extraction of useful mineral resources.

The audit mission noted that some underground beneficiaries had decreased the volumes of real extracted minerals by 469,800 m3, fact that had harmed the budgets of the administrative-territorial units by nearly 1.7 million lei, under the audit’s calculation.