The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry has drafted a new subprogram to survey subsurface resources as part of the government program on environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources in 2021-2025, BelTA learned from Oleg Mokh, Deputy Head of the Central Office for Natural Resources, Head of the Geology Office of the Belarusian Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry, during a roundtable held in BelTA's press center on 5 December.

The official said: “The subprogram has been drafted. It is still being discussed. It focuses on regional studies, provision of existing enterprises with raw materials, import substitution, survey and commercialization of new kinds of mineral resources. The draft subprogram should be closely connected to the plan for retooling the industry.”

From Br11 million to Br16.5 million is allocated every year for geological prospecting work as part of the existing government program. The Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Ministry believes the sum needs to be doubled. “We will contact the government and substantiate the need,” the official added.

Private investments are also used for this work. Investment projects are implemented on the basis of deposits of natural resources. Tenders are arranged to allow the development of the deposits on concession terms. There are plans to arrange another tender in early 2020 to choose the concession operator for such sites as the Gorodnoye quartz sand deposit and the promising oil-bearing site Poznyakevichskaya.