In-depth monitoring of the bidding process
As one of the provinces with the largest sand reserves in the country, in previous years, Quang Ngai had few mines licensed due to prolonged licensing procedures... Many businesses that won the sand mine auction increased hundreds of times compared to the starting price, so they were forced to sell at high prices... However, since the beginning of 2025, sand prices in Quang Ngai have been kept stable, while neighboring localities such as Da Nang have recorded high sand prices with about 800,000/m3.
According to the leader of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, in the past, there were cases where businesses participating in auctions pushed up prices very high until they won the auction but abandoned the mines and did not exploit. Therefore, it will take authorities at least 6 months to re-organize the auction, causing waste of time and a shortage of materials for the market, escalating prices, affecting construction works under construction and people in need of use.
That is not to mention, businesses that do not have a need to use them can manipulate, pushing mineral mine prices up unusually at auctions. Or there is a phenomenon of businesses truancing and negotiating with businesses with real needs for profit.
To prevent the above situation, in 2025, the unit has set more appropriate criteria to select enterprises with a real need to use mineral mines, proving financial capacity, equipment, human resources... to participate in the auction.
In particular, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has invited the police force to closely monitor the bidding process. If there is any phenomenon of manipulation or pushing the bidding price up unusually high, they will handle it on the spot. Also according to the leader of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, if the enterprises participate in winning the bid but abandon the bid, the unit will advise the People's Committee of Quang Ngai province to impose administrative sanctions, ban bidding from 6 months to 5 years...
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Bui Van Cu - Deputy Director of the Department of Construction of Quang Ngai province - said that the price and supply of construction sand in Quang Ngai province are still kept stable. The Department of Construction requires sand mine owners to publicly post at the mines, so mine owners are not allowed to arbitrarily increase prices. Currently, the Department of Construction has not discovered any mine owner who increased the selling price compared to the listed price.
Sand prices cool down
According to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Quang Ngai province, the whole province currently has 135 licensed and operating mineral mines, of which the eastern region has 74 mines and the western region has 64 mines. There are 37 mines that have won the auction for mineral exploitation rights, and organizations and individuals are carrying out legal procedures to grant exploitation licenses.
From the beginning of January 2025 to present, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment has advised the Provincial People's Committee to issue 20 mineral exploration licenses; recognize the exploration results of 4 reports on mineral exploration results; issue 10 mineral exploitation licenses; extend 8 mineral exploitation licenses...
Recently, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment coordinated to successfully organize 2 auctions of mineral mines for common construction materials and advised the Provincial People's Committee to approve the first auction results. For the second auction held on September 5, 2025, 13 enterprises have won the right to exploit minerals at 13/15 mineral mines, currently the Department of Natural Resources and Environment is completing procedures to announce the results. The simultaneous auction of many mines with diverse reserves and types, widely distributed, contributes to meeting the material source for the market, ensuring the construction progress of works and projects.
Currently, the price of construction sand at some mines in the central area of Quang Ngai province fluctuates around 300,000 VND/m3. The highest at Tinh An - Nghia Dung sand mine: 317,262 VND/m3; at village mine 1: 294,200 VND/m3; An Trang mine: 285,300 VND/m3; Van Xuan 2 mine: 289,300 VND/m3. Mines far from the center such as CS6 are only 129,000 VND/m3.
