Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai asked the Vietnam National Coal – Mineral Industries Corporation (Vinacomin) to focus on core projects with sufficient capital and human resources at a conference in Hanoi on January 14 to set its 2014 tasks.

To satisfy rising demand for coal by power plants in the coming years, he requested Vinacomin to overhaul management while improving its output and product quality.

Along with speeding up the commissioning of coal mines, Vinacomin should adopt a range of comprehensive measures to ensure labour safety, restructure its working system and attract more investment, especially from the private sector, Hai said.

He hailed Vinacomin for its thermo-power projects over the past time, adding that the sector must exert more efforts as the import of coal used for power generation remains high. Hai also required its joint collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to launch two pilot coal mines in the Mekong Delta.

Vinacomin General Director Le Minh Chuan said the corporation plans to sell 35 million tonnes of coal this year, of which 27 million tonnes will go to the domestic market.

The company will come up with ways to boost consumption and invest heavily in modern technology, machines, warehouses and wharfs, he said.

Chuan added that in view of market movements, the company will boost coal mining as soon as demand increases.

Last year, Vinacomin turned out 42.6 million tonnes of coal, down 4 percent year-on-year. Of the figure, it sold 39.1 million tonnes, including 12 million tonnes for delivery overseas. Its total revenue hit 100 trillion VND (4.7 billion USD), an annual rise of 6 percent./.