PESHAWAR: The Frontier Mine Owners Association (FMOA) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has expressed serious reservations over the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) drafted Minerals Harmonization Act 2025 of the federal government and has asked the provincial government to address them before its adoption from the provincial assembly.
Addressing at a news conference here at Peshawar Press Club (PPC) on Tuesday, President FOMA Sherbani Khan Marwat said that the draft of the Act sent to chief secretaries of all provinces for approval from the provincial legislatures is an attempt to abolish provincial autonomy.
The FOMA chief was also flanked by the Senior Vice President Asghar Khan Afridi, Vice President Najab Khan, Secretary General Taimur Khan, Deputy General Secretary Aziz Tanoli, Secretary Finance Abdul Qayyum and district level presidents and other office-bearers of the association.
Sherbandi Khan Marwat said that the purpose of the Harmonization Minerals Act was aimed at it inclusion of the recommendations and redressal of the reservations of all public and public sectors stakeholders in consultations with provinces.
He said that the prime minister and COAS had proposed the name of Harmonization Minerals Act to insert the recommendations of all federating units, but draftsmen completely ignored consultations with provincial stakeholders and brought-in a Mineral Act of their own choice.
He said that the federal government should formed an inquiry committee to inquire from the authorities of the minerals wing of the SIFC for not taking the recommendations and proposals into account and drafting a Mineral Act of their own choice .
He said that the issuance of the Prospecting no objective certificate (NoC) in merged districts and hard areas is banned since last six years, but under the draft Act the period of prospecting has been fixed for three years and ban on extension. Similarly, he termed the bank guarantee of up to Rs 25 million for small mineral lease tantamount to the expulsion of the common of the province from the mineral sector.
Furthermore, mineral fee, formation of federal board for royalty and regulations is the violation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment. He said that domestic and foreign investors of the mineral sector have no protection to their investment and lives.
Sherbandi Khan demanded of the Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur and the provincial assembly to take the proposals and reservations of the mine owners and mineral department into consideration for the passage of the Minerals Act 2025 from the assembly. Otherwise, both treasury and opposition benches of the provincial assembly would be labeled as opponents of the provincial rights and 18th Constitutional Amendment and responsible for the closure of the sector and deprivation of the province of revenue and employment opportunities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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