BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 27. Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved in its first reading a bill that will allow the development of uranium and thorium deposits in the country, Trend reports.
According to the Kyrgyz parliament, this bill, initiated by the Chairman of the Cabinet of the Ministers, proposes to repeal the law of December 14, 2019, which prohibits activities related to the geological exploration of subsoil for the purpose of searching, exploring, and developing uranium and thorium deposits.
The Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision, Melis Turgunbaev, presented the project and pointed out that the main goal is not the extraction of uranium and thorium but other valuable minerals like titanium magnetite, using state-owned companies.
To note, there are two deposits in Kyrgyzstan: Kyzyl-Ompol and Tash-Bulak, containing 3.5 tons of uranium and 10,000 tons of thorium. According to Turgunbaev, the development of the Kyzyl-Ompol deposit could create at least 1,000 jobs and generate approximately $150 million in tax and non-tax revenues for the budget.
The minister also emphasized that if environmental regulations are violated, those responsible will be held accountable according to the law.