Tribuna’s guest is a member of the Federation Council Committee on Agrarian and Food Policy and Use of Natural Resources, Yuri Kushnar, Senator from the Amur Region.
- The Amur Region is known as a region very rich in minerals. I would like to ask you about use of mineral resources: is there a problem of combating so-called illegal diggers, or illegal developers of these areas?
- I would not say that this is a very acute problem. But the Far East is so sparsely populated, and it is so big, so it is extremely difficult to control the illegal use of mineral resources. Even if you can identify these facts, then the measures provided under the current legislation, in particular the Administrative Code, are insignificant. They are not encouraging a law-abiding use of the mineral resources by the participants of this process. But to say that it actually brings some huge losses to the country, I would not say that.
However, my fellow legislators of the Amur Regional Legislative Assembly came up with an initiative. This bill is about strengthening responsibility. That means the amount of the fines is increased and another sanction for the illegal use of mineral resources is introduced. This is the confiscation of the tools with which the illegal use of mineral resources was conducted. It is rather aimed at production of common minerals, because these minerals, which are necessary for technologies, it is certainly very difficult. In fact, it is hardly possible to extract gold illegally in some large volumes. Where gold is mined illegally, it happens in very a small amount.
Our colleagues from Magadan have been fighting for a long time to legalize the illegal trafficking by permitting a simplified procedure, but not in the fields of industrial character, but minor fields, small, up to 10 kg, their bill provides the issuance of permits.
And all of those who are now interested in it, they could obtain such permission at a particular site. Already legally, not hiding from anyone, and most importantly, for them it would be, of course, much easier, more profitable, because they would sell this gold or other minerals not illegally, but sell it like any other legal mineral resources user would.
Besides the fact that they are mining illegally, there is thievery. Previously, it wason a much larger scale, now if the facts are there, they are sporadic. However, it exists. And if the bill will pass, it is so long lasting, it has been considered for a long time, I think it is still green, I've recently seen notes to it. I think that we still have to work on it seriously. But if it is adopted, it will solve the problem.
- What are prospects of development of the Bureinskaya Trench?
- This is a huge area. There are a lot of minerals. I have, for many years, worked with companies which are involved with both placer gold and ore. Placer gold is already ending, its volumes are not so significant already. There is gold ore, but it is in the direction of the north, north-east of the Amur Region, this is the Seleindzinski district and likely there to the north of Khabarovski Territory. There is a blank spot. No one explored this area, but you can go there only from the Amur Region by the road which is there today. North of Khabarovskiy Krai is the area between the Magadan Region and Amur Region. If there is gold in Magadan, and the Amur Region has gold, then surely it is on this piece of the north of the Khabarovsk Territory. This is a huge, wide, gold-bearing province.
- The Amur Region often appears in the news bulletins, of course, it is related to the construction of the century, you can say, in Russia, the construction of the space port 'Vostochniy'. There were problems with payment. Tell me, how is the construction going on, were all the problems solved?
- The Amur Region often appears in some negative news: either something is burning or, on contrary, is sinking, if the space port, then there is surely something that was stolen, and there is something that cannot be done. I think this is due to the fact that the media, which serves the information, is somehow more interested in talking about some "hot" facts.
The flooding of unprecedented scale took place in 2013, and we overcame it. With the help of the Federal Center, with the help of those media, by the way, and with the First Channel, thanks to it, this channel, because it held such action. This is an excellent example, when the interaction with the media has brought very good positive results.
Now about the space port. Construction is on a really large scale. For the Amur Region, this is a breakthrough project that should bring new technologies and a new wave of people who are able to work on this absolutely advanced enterprise. One launch pad is almost ready, there is the installation of equipment. There is the preparation itself, it is very difficult. For example, dust removal.
Unpaid wages is a consequence already. In fact, it is a question of financing, proper funding. I myself participated in the meeting held by Rogozin, we were talking about it. Thefact that the funding is not being conducted properly. There is no control over how the funds are used in the future. In this regard, the question was raised, to move on the treasury execution of the financing of all contracting organizations on the space port, primarily Dalspetsstroi.
In fact, that to say today that there is something stolen, it is such a stretch. The construction started at a time when the state examination for the estimate cost was not passed, there were working documents, and they started working on them. And the estimated cost has not been determined, so something was bought at current prices. Then there was a gap between what has already been spent and what we got in the estimation, which passed.
People there are sympathetic, but only where there are, in fact, very serious issues already, there are such things as strikes, and so on, appeals to the President. But Rogozin pays much attention to the space port, he personally goes there pretty often. And the state of affairs is gradually changing for the better, and I'll tell you this: I have people there, with whom I talk, they are executives, ordinary workers, and masters, line executives. Everyone is aware that we still have time and we will deal with it, if we work harmoniously. I hope that will happen, and I think that the first rocket will fly from the space port in December.
