Many sand mining ships in Krong Bong district, Dak Lak have to anchor in place due to lack of inspection - Photo: TRUNG TAN
On June 17, the Department of Construction of Dak Lak province said it had proposed that the provincial People's Committee send a document to the central government, proposing to remove obstacles related to a series of sand mining ships that have expired their registration and are unable to operate. This situation has caused a sharp decrease in supply, pushing up the price of construction sand in recent times.
Many sand mining ships are on shore.
According to the Dak Lak Department of Construction, out of 24 inland waterway vehicles of 9 enterprises that the unit has just inspected, only 4 vessels still have valid registration. Up to 20 vessels (accounting for 83.33%) have expired inspections and are not qualified for operation.
These ships are distributed in many localities such as Krong Pak, Ea Kar, Krong Bong, Krong Ana, Lak and Ea Sup. Many businesses have 2-3 ships but all have had to stop operating.
Dak Lak has only 4/24 sand mining ships still registered - Photo: TRUNG TAN
In Dak Nong , the situation is similar. Of the 26 ships of 7 sand mining enterprises, 14 ships were removed from the list due to not meeting the inspection requirements, mainly iron-hulled and self-built wooden-hulled ships lacking technical documents.
Up to now, the whole province has only 15 operating ships, of which 3 sand mining ships have expired, including ships of Phuoc Loc and Quang Phu Companies (expired from September and November 2024), 1 passenger ship of Hung Long Dak Nong Company (expired from February 2025).
Dak Nong province leaders affirmed that ships with expired inspections must stop operating, otherwise they will be handled according to regulations.
The main reason is that the province does not have a facility to inspect inland waterway vehicles, forcing businesses to take their ships to other provinces for inspection, which is time-consuming and costly.
In addition, many converted ships no longer match the original records, making it difficult to re-register without major repairs.
Proposing a special inspection mechanism for mountainous areas
Sand gathering area of a business in Dak Nong - Photo: TRUNG TAN
Faced with the situation of many ships being stranded, Dak Lak requested businesses to urgently re-register their vehicles and assigned localities to strictly handle expired ships that are still operating.
Dak Lak Department of Construction was assigned to coordinate with inspection centers in the province and Inspection Sub-Department No. 5 to research a mobile inspection model, reduce costs for businesses and speed up the progress of legalizing exploitation.
The Provincial People's Committee also plans to establish an interdisciplinary inspection team or appoint a focal agency to comprehensively monitor mineral exploitation activities from ship inspection to technical safety control, reserves and tax obligations.
In Dak Nong, there are legal businesses that cannot operate due to lack of qualified vehicles. Investing in new ships is also beyond the capacity of many small businesses, not to mention insurance and periodic inspections.
The paradox is that some businesses, such as XB Company Limited, have up to 3 ships with valid inspections but still sell sand in moderation.
Some mining enterprises in Dak Nong sell sand in moderation, causing sand prices to increase - Photo: TRUNG TAN
The Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee has sent a document to the Ministry of Construction requesting to remove difficulties. The province proposed to allow inspection at the enterprise's slipway if conditions are met, instead of requiring the ship to be brought to a licensed facility. In addition, it proposed to simplify procedures for ships lacking or losing technical documents if they still meet operating standards.
According to the authorities of the two provinces, if the problem is not resolved soon, the inactive ship will continue to cause a shortage in the supply of construction sand, creating loopholes for illegal exploitation, affecting the environment and increasing the risk of landslides.
Dak Nong rectifies abnormal increase in sand prices
The fact that a series of ships are stuck on shore has caused sand prices to skyrocket. At the mine, the price ranges from 260,000 to 300,000 VND/m³, but when it reaches consumers, it can reach up to 850,000 VND/m³.
In Dak Nong, in May 2025, sand prices in some places exceeded 1 million VND/m³; in remote areas such as Tuy Duc and Dak R'lap, the price reached 1.3 - 1.4 million VND/m³.
Faced with the unusual increase in sand prices causing many projects to delay progress, the Standing Vice Chairman of Dak Nong Provincial People's Committee, Le Trong Yen, requested departments and branches to rectify and prevent speculation and profiteering.
The Provincial People's Committee assigned the Department of Construction to assess supply and demand, coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Environment to handle the difference in output and selling price, and review vehicles with expired registration. Enterprises that violate the law will have their licenses revoked if they do not correct the situation.
Provincial police strengthen inspection of illegal sand mining and transportation. Tax Department inspects financial obligations in mining…
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hang-loat-tau-khai-thac-cat-het-dang-kiem-xu-ly-ra-sao-20250617084035014.htm
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