Speaking at a mining workshop titled "Our Life is Mine," held in Antalya on Friday, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak said they have initiated the E-Mine process for the fastest progress of mining activities, adding that they will have the entire project commissioned in 2018.
"During the meetings we held with the mining sector, the most frequently mentioned issue was the demand for the reduction of the bureaucracy," Minister Albayrak said during the workshop.
Recalling that they completed all pending projects by the end of September, Minister Albayrak said they have initiated the E-Mine process for the fastest progress of mining activities.
"Hopefully we will have the entire project commissioned in 2018," he noted.
Speaking during the workshop, Minister Albayrak said safety is a top priority in mining, informing that the Mine Safety Board will be established in this regard in order to quickly realize the necessary applications for the creation of a safe working environment and the prevention of occupational diseases.
Albayrak said of the 5,487 mines inspected in 2017, 258 coal mines ceased operations, highlighting that these audits will be tightened in 2018 and that with unannounced and spontaneous inspections, risky mines will be identified and processed. "We need to show absolutely zero tolerance for labor and worker safety," Albayrak said. "We are working to make the mining industry the most attractive investment area for the next 10 years."
TENDER FOR 1,500 SITES TO BE COMPLETED
Pointing out that they abandoned the technical supervision system that could serve in more than one site and adopted the permanent supervision system, Albayrak said the tender for at least 1,500 sites will be completed until the end of the year, stressing that it will also play a major role in increasing the competitive power of the country to bring all mining-related processes from production to operation into the economy. "We take long-term steps meticulously," he added.
Albayrak also suggested that the private sector should also take initiative here, as well as the public's regulatory and supervisory role. "If we say that we are going to carry Turkey to a higher league, we all have a part to play," he continued. "For this, we are writing down the demands that come from you as well as the issues that are waiting to be resolved, and we will solve them. There are many steps we have taken since we took office."
Albayrak said that Turkey has had an ecosystem so far in which Turkey's mine was exported to foreign countries and re-exported to Turkey as processed products for high prices, adding, "A new tender and business model will be introduced by the end of the year so that this situation, which is the result of the lack of technological infrastructure, can be reversed."
He also mentioned that changes and transformations to take place in all spheres of energy are one of the most important issues, and that necessary steps are being taken with this consciousness. To this end, the National Energy and Mining Policy Strategy Vision Certificate has been disclosed to the public.
Emphasizing that domestic resources are more involved in the energy portfolio, Albayrak noted that they are gradually beginning to introduce a multidimensional policy that will bring foreign resources to a more manageable point.
"We are now beginning to apply coordinated policies in various fields to get rid of the dependency on imported energy and mining. What is important here is not only to have reserves in a mine, but to have a sustainable system that will process these reserves and convert them into value chains," he said.
Pointing to the ecosystem that has been so far implemented in Turkey, Albayrak expressed that mines extracted in Turkey were exported to foreign countries and re-exported to Turkey as processed products for high prices in the past. According to Albayrak, a new tender and business model will be introduced by the end of the year so that this situation, which was the result of the lack of technological infrastructure, can be reversed. "The mines extracted in our country are strategic and rare and have high added value. Hopefully, many mines in areas where we are import-dependent will be processed in Turkey from now on. For this reason, the main target of our mining policy is to make Turkey have a say and turn it to a country that produces high added value products with advanced technology and sells them in global markets, from a country that produces and sells raw materials," the minister said.
Pointing to the fact that Turkey's mine imports amount to $11 billion and mine exports amount to $15 billion on an annual basis, Albayrak said they have to support domestic production and create serious dynamism in this area. According to the minister, Turkey's target is not a distant dream as long as it reduces imports and increases exports.
MAIN TARGET TO PAVE WAY FOR INVESTORS
Emphasizing that the main target is to pave the way for true investors, Albayrak noted that the sector is transforming as Turkey and the world. He added, "So, we have to aspire for bigger businesses, bigger investments and production. As we have done in the construction sector, we should not only produce raw materials, but create new chain of values and aim to sell mining products to the world. We will take advantage of advanced technology and invest in research and development (R&D) to make up for shortcomings in this area. We will struggle to make our company a mining champion through international cooperation in technology."
