Thieves of the State's coal fields_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Thieves of the State's coal fields

During the trial of suspects believed to be responsible for a mine blast that killed 105 people on December 5 last year in Hongtong county, Shanxi province, one suspect revealed that the main investor of the coal mine had received more than 100 million yuan ($13.3 million) in profit from the mine in less than three years.

For average salary earners whose incomes do not exceed 100,000 yuan ($13,300) a year, this figure is simply shocking. They could well doubt if the huge profit was a reasonable return for the mine owner's investment.

Today, prices of mineral products keep increasing throughout the world as a result of shortages. The value of a mineral product consists of two components: the value of the mineral resource itself and the cost of prospecting and mining it. The rise in the prices of mineral products actually reflects the increase in the value of the resources. The profits thus generated, however, have gone to mine owners rather than the State, the real owner of the resources and the investor in prospecting the mines. This is obviously unreasonable.

Though I am not an economist, common sense tells me that one has to pay the State for the right to excavate coal to sell it for profit. Do coal mine owners pay? How much do they pay? With the questions in mind, I searched online for an answer. The search enriched me with knowledge about State policies on mining but filled me with more questions as well.