HANOI, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese Finance Ministry is proposing a sweeping ban on the export of raw minerals, while the government pays more attention to environment protection, and supports export of highly processed minerals that carry high added value, Vietnam News Agency reported on Sunday.
Local experts on mining said the proposal is not new, but the ban has not made it into actual policies because there have not been technical standards for what constitutes "unprocessed," "processed" or "highly processed" minerals.
Previously, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered limiting small-scale and low-tech mining projects of minerals such as gold, copper, nickel and molybdenum, which causes pollution and losses to the country's natural resources.
The prime minister urged the formation of large-scale mining enterprises that make use of advanced technologies, especially new processing and environmental protection techniques.
According to the General Department of Vietnam Customs, between Jan. 1 and July 15, Vietnam exported more than 2 million tons of ore worth 101 million U.S. dollars.
