Prishtina – 29 December 2020
Press release of the end of the year from ICMM
The Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals – ICMM is an independent agency established with Article 142 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. The ICMM shall regulate mining activities in Kosovo in accordance with the Law No. 03/L-163 on Mines and Minerals, amended and supplemented by the Law No.04/L-158 (hereinafter LMM), with sub normative acts issued pursuant to the present Law and the Mining Strategy. The ICMM shall act in the public interest and independently exercise the powers and carry out the functions assigned to it by the LMM. The ICMM shall be directed by a Board comprised of 5 members, who according to applicable legislation have a mandate of 5 (five) years. Director manages the executive part of the ICMM who has a mandate of 3 (three) years. Structure and other staff of the ICMM consist of the main departments with professional staff and other supporting units with defined duties and responsibilities.
The year 2020 was a challenging for all institutions, businesses, different enterprises, and as well for the ICMM, this is because of facing the extraordinary situation with COVID-19 pandemic.
ICMM except implementation of mining legislation is dedicated this year as well in the implementation of government policies related to the situation created from pandemic, in compliance with Government’s decision.
15 Board meetings were held during 2020, respectively from January – August period until the end of the mandate of four members of the Board, without whom there was not an enough quorum.
Four members of the ICMM Board have completed their mandate on 06 August 2020, including Chairman of the Board Mr Musa Shabani, whereas it was taken a decision that Mr Avdi Konjuhi to be Acting of the Chairman, who is as well now.
The Board of the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals, in conformity with the situation created by pandemic, has held the extraordinary meetings, where there were taken necessary protective measures and in the meeting held on15.03.2020 it was taken a decision to establish emergency staff. In this case, the development of work is allowed under maximum measures and care and with reduced staff, according to the Decisions of the Government of the Republic of Kosovo.
As well, in the meeting held on 27.04.2020, the Board of the Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals took decision to postpone payments of financial obligations of the enterprises to the ICMM until 31.05.2020 whereupon the Ministry of Finance took decision to extend the term of payments until 30 June 2020, which it was implemented as well by ICMM.
No matter the continuous efforts for development of mining sector, there are still challenges to avoid through inter-institutional cooperation, reduce of bureaucracy, increase of transparency, accountability etc.
Permits and licenses in the ICMM during 2020
ICMM actually manages with 699 mining entities by which 149 are Exploration Licenses, 227 Mining Licenses and 323 Special Operations Permits.
167 licenses and permits are issued during 2020, from which 63 Exploration Licenses, 67 Mining Licenses and 37 Special Operations Permits.
Closed licenses because of losing the criteria according to the Law on Mines and Minerals are 4 Exploration Licenses and 12 Mining Licenses.
As well application for closing the licenses after expirations of the term of mining have been reviewed during 2020.
Number of licenses for re-cultivation and closing is 4;
Number of licenses which the licenses have been extended is 16;
Number of licenses that the guarantee has been extended 6 to 12 months is 4;
Licenses in procedure for closing are 2 licenses;
In total there are 26 licenses in re-cultivation and closing.
Field inspections
The inspectorate of the ICMM has continued to control illegal operations during 2020, which have continued to occur as well in this year, where in total 59 illegal operations have been identified.
Requests for massive blasting and transfers in total are 550 whereas permits for massive blasting in total are 511.
Blasting executed which are divided in surface and underground blasting for 2020 are:
Special Operations Permits – Permits for massive blasting in surface mines 427;
Special Operations Permits – Permits for massive blasting in underground mines 73;
Special Operations Permits – Permits for massive blasting in surface mines cancelled are 12.
Quantity of blasted resources for 2020 is 5,976,561.40 m 3, whereas number of reports for illegal operations for 2020 is 59.
Injuries occurred in mines in country level have been identified during 2020, from which 41 were minor injuries and 4 were with fatality.
During 2020, the ICMM forwarded 50 criminal charges against illegal operators in the mining sector to the Prosecution, 67 administrative fines for illegal operations and 59 proposals for execution. 40 appeals have been received for 2020, from which decisions are taken for 18 appeals from the time the Board was present. All appealers have received notifications that their appeals cannot be reviewed due to lack of the quorum of Board.
The Commission for review of requests and appeals has identified 52 requests until now and out of them 50 have been reviewed and the response have been sent to them, while two are in review procedures.
Revenues for 2020
Since the beginning of its work as an independent agency, the ICMM from year to year has made progress in increasing revenues from royalties, this as an indicator that shows the increase of investments in the mining sector. From € 30,150,000.00 as planned revenues for 2020, € 29,715,108.79 were collected (or expressed as a percentage of 98.56%).
Objectives 2021
ICMM foresees to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of its duties and responsibilities by continuing the upgrade of internal control system and governance in general and specific objectives in particular:
The challenges in the future
Taking into account the rights and responsibilities specified in the LMM and other general rules on the one hand and undertaking activities to implement them in practice on the other hand, and when we add to this the concepts of development trends in this field, we can consider as a special challenge for the RKS institutions and as well for the ICMM.
We can distinguish challenges to achieve the objectives set for the future as following:
Kind regards
Independent Commission for Mines and Minerals
Tel: +383 (0) 38 240 252
Fax: +383 (0) 38 245 844
E-mail: icmm@kosovo-mining.org
Address: Armend Daci No.1
Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo
