Sand and gravel are indispensable basic building materials in engineering construction. The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the healthy and orderly development of the sand and gravel industry. In order to stabilize the supply of the sand and gravel market, maintain the stability of the overall price level, and promote the healthy and orderly development of the industry, with the approval of the State Council, on March 25, 15 departments and units including the National Development and Reform Commission jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Healthy and Orderly Development of the Sand and Gravel Industry”.
The “Guiding Opinions” adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, follow the decision-making and deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, firmly establish and resolutely practice the new development concept, give full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, better play the role of the government, and effectively implement the main responsibility of local governments. Adhere to building first and then breaking, accelerate the “front door” and resolutely “block the back door”. Comprehensive measures and multiple measures will be taken to accelerate the construction of a sand and gravel industry system with balanced regional supply and demand, reasonable prices, green environmental protection, and excellent quality, and provide strong support for infrastructure investment and construction and stable economic operation.
The “Guiding Opinions” clearly put forward a series of measures and opinions around promoting the scientific use of mechanism sand and gravel, river and lake sand, sea sand, and alternative sand sources. First, promote the high-quality development of the mechanism sand and gravel industry. Including vigorously developing and promoting the application of machine-made sand and gravel, optimizing the development layout of machine-made sand and gravel, accelerating the formation of high-quality machine-made sand and gravel production capacity, and reducing transportation costs. Second, strengthen the comprehensive treatment and utilization of river sand mining. Including strengthening the comprehensive management of illegal sand mining, rationally developing and utilizing river sand and gravel resources, increasing the utilization of river dredging sand, and exploring and promoting the development and utilization of silted sand in the Three Gorges Reservoir area. Third, gradually and orderly promote the development and utilization of sea sand. Including rationally developing sea sand resources, establishing and improving a long-term mechanism for sea sand mining management; strictly regulating the use of sea sand, and strictly implementing sea sand use standards. Fourth, actively promote the alternative utilization of sand sources. Including supporting the comprehensive utilization of waste rock tailings, encouraging the use of solid waste resources to manufacture recycled sand and gravel, promoting the coordinated use of sand and gravel excavated for engineering construction, and actively promoting steel structure prefabricated buildings.
The “Guiding Opinions” emphasize that it is necessary to further consolidate the main responsibilities of local governments, establish and improve work mechanisms, pay close attention to the market situation of sand and gravel, coordinate the promotion of production, supply guarantee, price stability, and strong supervision to ensure engineering construction and people’s livelihood needs. At present, under the premise of scientific prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, combined with the orderly resumption of work and production of engineering projects, ensure that the supply and price of the sand and gravel market are basically stable.
Answer to reporters’ questions
Recently, with the approval of the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission, together with 15 departments and units including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the State Administration for Market Regulation, jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Healthy and Orderly Development of the Sand and Gravel Industry” (hereinafter referred to as the “Guiding Opinions”).
01. Question: Why is it necessary to formulate and issue the “Guiding Opinions”?
Answer: Sand and gravel are essential basic building materials in engineering construction. Construction sand is divided into two categories: natural sand and machine-made sand. Natural sand includes river and lake sand, land sand, and machine-made sand…
