The Government is continuously pushing for the application of advanced technology in bauxite mining in a bid to make the process more environmentally friendly and to enhance socio-economic efficiency, the head of the Government Office Vu Duc Dam has confirmed at his monthly press briefing.

He told reporters that more research will be undertaken to see what areas of bauxite exploitation and processing should be changed.

The long-standing policy of the Party and State is to explore and sufficiently exploit natural resources to contribute to the country’s socio-economic development, he said.

Effective processing of bauxite is dependent on many factors including infrastructure, investment, the environment and the world market, Dam continued.

An eight-year plan to pinpoint several key sites for exploration, exploitation, processing and usage of bauxite was approved in 2007, with a view towards 2025.

Each of these project sites continues to improve its general socio-economic development efficiency, Dam said, citing the example of the Dung Quat oil refinery project, which has significantly contributed to the development momentum in the central region.

Answering questions about the decision of the Viet Nam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) to halt the construction of the Ke Ga deepwater port in central Binh Thuan Province, Dam said the decision was reasonable.

The port was planned to take bauxite from mines in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) and the project was stopped due to a reduction in bauxite production, one of the main sources of income for the port, according to Vinacomin.

After calculating the volume of goods set to be transported via Ke Ga port, the company reported to the Ministry of Trade and Industry that it was not viable for them to invest in the project at present, Dam said.

He said that the region’s bauxite could still be sent to other existing ports in the area, such as Go Dau and Phu My.

State management agencies have declared that subsequently the halt of work on the Ke Ga project will not have a great impact on their long-term strategy and have therefore agreed to stop investing in the project, he said.