TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Control Yuan (監察院) has highlighted significant regulatory lapses in the oversight of gravel pits on mining land, leading to widespread unauthorized land use on Tuesday (Feb. 11). The Control Yuan reported that some local governments failed to inspect these sites according to regulations or to terminate approved projects, exacerbating the issue.
The Control Yuan cited an audit report by the Geology Survey and Mining Management Center under Ministry of Economic Affairs' (GSMMA MOEA, 經濟部地質調查及礦業管理中心), which found inadequate supervision of these gravel pits, according to the Control Yuan's press release. On Feb. 5, the Control Yuan's Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs (財政及經濟委員會) approved a report by members Lin Yu-jung (林郁容) and Fan Sun-lu (范巽綠), urging the MOEA to prompt improvements from affiliated and local governments.
As of 2023, local governments have approved 223 gravel pits for land use changes to mining purposes. However, some failed to implement resolutions from the Ministry of the Interior's (MOI, 內政部) 2016 review meeting on non-urban land violations. The Control Yuan noted that some gravel pits went over eight years without inspections, indicating negligence by the Geology Survey and Mining Management Center in its supervisory role.
While some local governments conduct regular inspections, they have not submitted plans for review as required, nor have they revoked approved business project cases. This has led to persistent unauthorized land expansion issues at gravel pits. The Control Yuan emphasized that some gravel pits have not obtained factory registration as mandated, urging the Industrial Development Administration under MOEA (IDA, 經濟部產業發展署) to expedite the legalization process for operators.
