New mining licences issued, others revoked
Over 40 new mining licences were issued during the first half of the year to satisfy the high demand for construction materials by Cambodian infrastructure and real estate projects, while more than 100 licences were revoked due to environmental concerns or inactivity, a government official said on September 26. Meng Saktheara, secretary of state at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, said 44 new licences were issued for “industrial” purposes. All of the licences were for extraction of construction materials, such as limestone, crushed rock or sand, and none were given for mineral exploration. While he declined to provide details on what specific section of the construction material supply chain the 44 licences represented, Saktheara said the MME was carefully vetting mining licence applications.
