… from RM4 per metric tonne to RM8 per metric tonne, beginning January 1, 2016.
“But, they want
to beat the time (so, do not want to spend time to do the spraying and cleaning).
They want to get extra trips thus extra income. This lies the problem (when
their uncleaned lorries dirtied the roads and polluted areas they passes
through)” – the Menteri Besar
THE MENTERI BESAR DURING THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NST...
WISMA SRI
PAHANG, KUANTAN
– In a move to further check the many nuisances brought about by the bauxite
mining activities in the state particularly in this district of Kuantan;
The
State Government has decided to hike sharply, special charges imposed on
operators of the mineral’s industry from RM4 per metric tonne to RM8
per metric tonne, effectively January 1, 2016.
This
was revealed by the Menteri Besar, Dato’ Sri DiRaja Adnan Yaakob in an
exclusive interview with Pahang’s New Straits Times (NST) Bureau Chief, Nik
Imran Nik Abdullah on Thursday morning, November 19, here.
It
is learnt that this latest action has multi-prong objectives that should be
seen more as a punitive and remedial measures, rather than be wrongly and sarcastically
implied as another source of a much needed extra income to the Government’s coffer.
Among
the objectives are - # to make the operators to be more responsible and deligent
hence be more environmental- and people-friendly in their activities; # to
discourage thus making them to restrategise towards downsizing their businesses;
FACE-TO-FACE... Dato' Sri DiRaja Adnan is seen here, answering questions posed by Nik Imran (right) who was accompanied by his reporter, Cik Nor'ain.
THIS IS NOT (THE
FIVE PERCENT) ROYALTY
and,
# with the more monies collected can be used by the State Government to repair the
many damages incurred resulting from the bauxite mining and it’s haphazardly means
of transportation.
“This is not
(the five percent) royalty. This is a special ‘cukailah’,” Dato’ Sri
DiRaja Adnan insisted.
As
has been reported before, the revenue collected from this industry via the five
percent royalty was only RM37 million thus far. However, it was not known of
the total collection from the RM4 metric tonne special charges presently
imposed.
With
the new rate of RM8 per metric tonne, and that the amount of bauxite’s monthly
production stood at about three (3) million metric tonnes; the State Government
is expected to rake about RM24 million a month or about RM288 million a year.
Even
the RM37 million that the State Government obtained from the royalty according
to the Menteri Besar, was questionable and that he suspected, it may due to
some loopholes in the system.
SHOT FROM ANOTHER ANGLE...
PLUGGING LOOPHOLES
IN THE SYSTEM
“Look at the
whole production; it (was so huge that the earnings collected by the operators
has) runs to billions (of ringgit). But why is the State Government getting
merely RM37 million? Because of the loopholes…,” he said.
Thus,
he added, he will be calling for a meeting with the agencies concerned – the
State’s Land and Mines Office, Customs Department of Pahang, and, Kuantan Port
Consortium among others, to further discuss about the bauxite industry.
And
among matters to be elaborated including finding ways to plug the said
loopeholes and get the actual figures especially on the real value of the
minerals that were exported to China all this while.
“So, I am
calling all the head of departments (concerned) to make sure that the figures are
in-sync (and a more concerted efforts are taken to tackle this bauxite menace),” he stressed.
In
response to a question, Dato’ Sri DiRaja Adnan maintained that the main
culprits of this negative episode regarding bauxite, are the transport
operators and drivers of lorries carrying this reddish minerals.
NO DAUNTING TASK
TO CLEAN THE LORRIES
It
was in fact not a daunting task for these drivers in particular he added, to
ensure their lorries are sprayed and cleaned, before embarking their journey
transporting the minerals from their production site to the Kuantan Port.
“But, they want
to beat the time (so, do not want to spend time to do the spraying and
cleaning). They want to get extra trips thus extra income. This lies the
problem (when their uncleaned lorries dirtied the roads and polluted areas they
passes through),”
he said..
“Then, people
asked - where are the Police, SPAD, JPJ? To be fair to them, they don’t have
sufficient manpower to handle this… But I think, through some other methods for
example the JPJ not renewing the road tax of transport or lorries not paying
their summonses, I think that would be more effective,” he added.
On
his part, the Menteri Besar said, he has done whatever that needed to be done
including meeting with the operators or producers of the minerals and their
lorry operators, not less than four times during which, they were reminded of
the rules and regulations that needed to be adhered.
The
most recent action he added, was the engagement of a Tunisian-born scientist
educated in Canada – Prof Mongi Ferchichi, to help the State Government in
tackling the dust problem emitted by the bauxite.
FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT WILL BAN BAUXITE EXPORTS IF…
“… this group
will help in controlling of the dust, in making sure that the lorries are quite
clean and to make sure that water -- as a result of the bauxite mining activities,will
have to be treated before being allowed to flow into the river,” he said.
“With
these actions taken and solutions proposed, can we say that the State
Government does not have any intention to stop this bauxite mining?” asked Nik
Imran.
“At this
juncture, I can’t stop, I can’t stop. Because, many people are depending on
this mining activities. I know of a lorry driver who is now earning about RM7,000
to RM8,000 (per month);
“And they use
the money to feed their children, to educate their children. There are hundreds
of them. I cannot simply stop it just like that,” Dato’ Sri
DiRaja Adnan answered.
“But if the
operators continue to flout the law, continue to disobey the law (hence,
continue) causing difficulty to the people at large; I don’t rule out (the
possibility that) the Federal Government (will arrive to a decision in) banning
the export of bauxite,” he warned.
STILL WITHIN THE
PERMISSABLE LIMIT
Dato’
Sri DiRaja Adnan also confirmed that, reports that he has received from the
Health and Environment Department disclosed that all the levels of the said to be
hazardous substance in the minerals collected from the various places, were within
the permissible limits.
“There is no
harm. Even at the time when the (NST) report (regarding the many down sides of
the whole bauxite industry) were published (in August); all the levels are
within permissible limits.
“And Prof Mongi
– after having studied the (NST’s news)report, he told me that he didn’t agree
with them (the news report)… But I don’t want to split hair on this,” he said. –
Khabar
