Africa-Press – Angola. The National Assembly (AN) held this Tuesday, in Luanda, to discuss, in specific terms, the proposal for a Law to Combat Illegal Mining Activity, after its general approval.
This approval occurred on March 21st with 90 votes in favor (MPLA and PHA), zero votes against and 66 abstentions (from the UNITA and Mixed PRS-FNLA parliamentary groups).
The 1st, 2nd, 5th and 10th specialized commissions of the AN assessed the joint opinion report of the aforementioned document that increases the penalty for conduct that constitutes a crime in mining activities, punishable by a prison sentence of one to six years (in crimes more serious) and with a fine.
The same penal framework applies to anyone who steals or conceals or transports any mineral products from the control and supervisory action of the competent authorities.
The document will reinforce the criminalization of the fight against illegal mining activity and establish criminal frameworks that allow for the effective protection of legal assets.
The diploma seeks to discourage and criminalize conduct that derives from the illicit exploitation of mineral resources that generates harmful impacts on the environment, human life, public health, the subsistence of communities, the economy and consequent development.
The document intends to introduce a specific legal regime to combat illegal mining activity that establishes penalties appropriate to the severity of the typified conduct and its results, as well as defining rapid procedures for the loss and appropriation in favor of the State of the instruments and proceeds of crime.
The document states that an evaluation of the last six years has led to the conclusion that the continuation of illegal mining activity causes incalculable risks and losses, taking into account the materials and equipment used, the effects on the economy, the damage to the environment, society and defense and security. national.
It is estimated that there are more than one million miners in the country, many of them of foreign nationality and 296 large dredgers are illegal.
The legal types of mining crimes currently in force do not satisfactorily cover all phenomena that constitute illegal mining activity, thus justifying the creation of a specific legal regime.
According to the Secretary of State for Natural Resources, Jânio Victor, the Executive wants to discourage the practices, as they are harmful to the country.
The Proposed Law to Combat Illegal Mining Activity has a preambular part and a dispositive part, systematized into four chapters, two sections and 22 articles.
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