Payments for subsoil use should reflect value of deposits - Russian Deputy PM

MOSCOW. April 25 (Interfax) - Payments for licenses to use subsoil plots need to be aligned with the value of the respective deposits, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev said during a meeting of the Federal Subsoil Resources Management Agency (Rosnedra)'s board.

Commenting on the issue of "idle" licenses, Patrushev said that some of them even cover deposits of scarce raw materials.

"Colleagues, this must be addressed at the interdepartmental level, involving oversight bodies and the Accounts Chamber. Each such license must be reviewed in the near future, because in these cases, resources are lying idle when they should be generating income for the state. And if an entrepreneur is not ready to develop the project, the right to use the resource should be revoked and the plot transferred to a responsible company," he said.

At the same time, there is also a need for economic incentives for businesses, he said.

"Subsoil users should be motivated to develop deposits effectively. Finally, payments for subsoil use must reflect the value of the deposits. Oleg Vladimirovich [Kazanov, the head of Rosnedra], we've already discussed these topics, so in 2025 I expect concrete proposals and specific changes," Patrushev said.