Inspectors haul up coal company for wrongdoings

The government Inspection Agency has listed a slew of offences allegedly committed by the state-owned Vietnam National Coal, Mineral Industries Holding Corporation Limited following an audit.

Vinacomin, as the company is known, owes back taxes of nearly VND202 billion (US$9.6 million) it should have paid over the last several years in the form of resources tax, income tax, value-added tax, and export tax.

The coal exploitation and trading inspection report for the 2006-2009 period also says several of Vinacomin’s subsidiaries mined and processed coal without a license before August 2008.

Of the nine companies inspected, seven did not have a wastewater treatment system while eight were unlicensed and discharged wastewater into the environment.

Some of them flouted their license terms by not mining deep for coal, overexploiting, or mining outside the licensed area.

Many Vinacomin officials and employees were found to be illegally transporting, trading, and consuming coal.

The Inspection Agency has recommended to the government to draft laws to regulate the coal industry and “criticize” several company officials.

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