ArmInfo.The Union of Miners and Metallurgists of Armenia expresses concern over the serious negative consequences of irresponsible illegal actions in relation to the mining industry - one of the foundations of the domestic economy. This is stated in the statement of the Union received by ArmInfo.
According to the source, in recent years, various groups of people have been constantly trying to interfere with or disrupt the normal development of this or that mining company. A situation has arisen in which this group, under the guise of a struggle for the preservation of the environment, is making groundless accusations, which may prevent the attraction of huge investments and the normal operation of companies that provide hundreds of jobs The last case was the action of a group of residents of Geghamasar enlarged community, who closed the Vardenis-Karvachar interstate road. The roads leading to the Amulsar mine have been closed for two years now, and the situation is similar at the Akhtala Ore Processing Plant and elsewhere. Falsifications and slander are regularly spread about the enterprises of the mining industry.
"It is time to take measures so that this lawless virus does not grow into an uncontrolled and dangerous method, the consequences of which may be irreversible for the country's economy. Over the past six months, the volume of production in the mining industry has grown by about 30%, and the volume of exports of the products of the sector is 34% of the country's total exports. The situation in the industry, which provides over 10% of all tax revenues, with more than 10 thousand people work (almost 60 thousand are employed in related industries), should sober up anyone who is concerned about the country, since especially in crisis situations it remains the only strong support of the economy state, "- the statement reads.
The authors of the document note that today miners, together with the relevant government agencies, are making efforts to make the industry more transparent, predictable and manageable from an environmental point of view. "Recently, Armenia has recently joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, including through the efforts of miners. This platform allows the government, civil society to solve all problems in a constructive environment, strictly within the framework of the law. Individual groups should not be allowed to illegally influence the normal operation of companies vital to the survival of thousands of people, guided only by suspicion or other interests. We call for an end to the indecisive reaction to irresponsible approaches to the sector, to prevent various manifestations of lawlessness, to solve real, and not supposed, environmental problems through the relevant authorities within the framework of the law. The mining industry is not a crime; it is wealth that must be managed wisely, prudently, competently, reaping potential benefits and neutralizing potential risks, as is done in many prosperous, developed and green countries. We appeal to the RA government to listen to the professional community, not to follow the lead of those who erode the source that feeds the country's economy, "the statement notes.
