Baimbetov Nurjan Serikovich

PhD, Associate Professor

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan

Law Faculty

 

Prospects for the development of the national legislation of RK on the use and conservation of resources.

 

Аннотация. В статье рассматриваются некоторые положения находящего на стадии разработки проекта  Кодекса«О недрах и недропользовании» Республики Казахстан. Эффективная организация законотворческих работ, по систематизации норм законодательства Казахстана в сфере недропользованияможет положительно сказаться на качестве деятельности в области недропользования.важно отметить, что кодификация той или иной отрасли права широко распространено в законодательной практике зарубежных стран. Выделение горного законодательства в отдельную отрасль, способствует в будущем устойчивому росту инвестиций в сферу недропользования. Перспектива, связанная с  принятием Кодекса «О недрах и недропользования», позволит улучшить взаимоотношения с  государствами-партнерами Казахстана.

Ключевые слова: недра, законодательство, кодификация, принципы недропользования, налоговый режим.

 

Annotation: In this article, the author writes about the provisionsunder developmentof CodeonSubsoiland Subsoil Use RK.Effective organization oflegislative workon thesystematizationof the legislationof Kazakhstan in thesphere of subsoil usecanhave a positive impacton the quality ofactivities in the fieldof subsoil use.Important to notethat the codificationof a particularbranch of lawis widespreadin the legislativepracticeof foreign countries.Allocation ofmining legislationin a separatesector forsustainable growthin the futureinvestmentin the mineral resources.The prospectof the adoption ofthe Code"On Subsoiland Subsoil Use", will improve therelationship with thepartner countriesof Kazakhstan.

Keywords: subsoil,law, codification, the principles of subsoil use,tax regime.

 

Subsoil - a complex natural object, which is one of the most important components of the geological system of our country. Therefore, legislation in the sphere of legal regulation of relations in the field of mineral resources, is one of the strategic components of national legislation and the main aspect of protecting the interests and priorities of countries in matters of economic security and international integration processes.

The current law "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use" of RK was adopted on June 24, 2010. Since then, many steps taken by the legislator in the way of improving the legislation on mineral resources. The basic principles of the Law "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use" RK, based on the Constitution of the RK, but it should be noted that it is hopelessly outdated in all respects as there were legal, that does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Act, which arose on the basis of a new integration process and a new economic structure of society of the country.

It should also be noted that the new draft of the Code on Subsoil and Subsoil Use of RK is not a copy of the Law "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use, as there were provisions to simplify the administrative part of the subsoil in order to attract new investments, which are still found expression only in scientific researches Kazakhstan scientists.

In accordance with the Law "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use" of the state subsoil fund includes all minerals, in the territory of RK, the legal regulation of relations in the field of subsoil use based on the following principles:

1.     rational, comprehensive and safe use of mineral resources;

2.     Conservation of Mineral Resources and the Environment;

3.     Publicity conduct mining operations;

4.     Payment for subsoil use.

However, some experts doubt the new code, the criticism is based on the rejection of the principle of rational and comprehensive utilization of mineral resources. In this case, in our opinion, there is a contradiction, since one of the approaches on the ground, which is developing a code of Subsoil is: unconditional priority of environmental safety, industrial safety and protection of mineral resources, which is to be implemented in the adoption and implementation of any programs, projects, plans and decisions related to mining and oil production, taking into account the cross-border nature of the effects (and effects) on the environment and humans, and the process is considered as a complex subsurface relationships, including environmental issues, land use.

Accordingly, guided by the objective - the use of mineral resources for the common good, the Code on Subsoil and Subsoil Use to set out the basic principles and institutions in the mineral resources, in order to form a rational system of legal regulation in the field of public-private cooperation in the sphere of subsoil use.

The prospect of the Code on Subsoil and Subsoil Use, aimed at providing investment attractiveness of subsoil use. As one of the measures to attract investment in exploration provides for the allocation of prospecting and evaluation operations in a separate step, the conditions of which will be as simple as possible. It is assumed that at this stage of mining companies will be able to carry out the entire range of activities necessary for them to assess the prospects of the investigated area of mineral resources, including from the perspective of the subsequent geological survey of the site. In this regard, provides for the introduction of the license to search for promising areas of mineral resources.

The license for the search should include the following conditions:

1.     The possibility of carrying out search operations, research and study to assess the prospects of those or other sites;

2.     The possibility of sampling in limited quantities, analysis and laboratory studies (including outside of Kazakhstan);

3.     Restrictions on the Turnover of the rights under the license, any encumbrance rights should be prohibited;

4.     The limited area of work;

5.     The term of the license - not more than 3 years without the possibility of extending;

6.     Does not provide exclusive rights to the subsurface area provided that, in fact, will promote competition between the mining companies in the rapid search and appraisal work for the geological survey information sufficient to address the issue of the transition to a more detailed exploration stage and applying for the appropriate license on a "first come - first served";

7.     will be provided only minimal financial commitment at the level of the Code in the form of fees for the right to perform search operations;

8.     The need for passing the examination and approval by the state of project documents in relation to this stage of work is subject to cancellation.

Also in the draft, Code on Subsoil provides a special mechanism of taxation, which is as follows:

1.     The signing bonus is expected to be as non-tax payments to the budget.

2.     Waiver of commercial discovery bonus and payment for reimbursement of historical costs.

3.     Exemption from the subsoil of the land tax and property tax and introduce a progressive fee for the use of subsoil during exploration.

4.      Exemption from VAT turnover from the sale of exploration and prospecting works.

5.     Exclusion of the object of taxation rent tax export volumes of oil and gas condensate.

Despite the quite advanced form of new legislation it prescribes the questions that need to be improved with the scientific and practical side, it is proposed to modify the provisions concerning the concepts of "contract" and "non-contract" activities, as this question leads to disputes between mining companies and the tax authority.

Based on the foregoing, it can be concluded that the draft Code on Subsoil Kazakhstan requires further improvement and development in the context of scientific and practical analysis.

 

References

1.     The Law of RK "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use" dated June 24, 2010. http://online.zakon.kz/Document/?doc_id=30770874.

2.     The concept of the draft Code of RK "On Subsoil and Subsoil Use". http://www.kazenergy.com/images/stories/ob_association/exprtnye_sovety/Concept_27.05.2014.pdf