The Ministry is a republican executive authority responsible for developing and implementing a unified state policy in the field of the mining industry, as well as the geological study, protection and use of subsoil resources. It coordinates the activities of executive authorities in these areas and organises the management of the system on the basis of the principle of single leadership.

The priority areas of activity and tasks of the Ministry are as follows:

• developing and implementing a unified state policy in the mining and geology sectors, as well as coordinating the activities of executive authorities in these areas;

• ensuring the sustainable development of the country’s mineral resource base through geological exploration activities, attracting investment and identifying new mineral deposits, and organising work on diversifying the mineral resource base of industrial sectors;

• carrying out scientific research, regional geological mapping, geophysical and drilling operations to identify prospective mineral areas in the republic, as well as increasing the efficiency of geological exploration in order to expand mineral reserves;

• further improving the system of groundwater use and well drilling in the republic, widely promoting among the population a culture of rational use of groundwater, and systematically organising measures to prevent their quantitative depletion and contamination;

• developing the mining and metallurgical industry, creating new production facilities by increasing investment in the sector, expanding the extraction and processing of mineral resources, forming material balances of their production and use, and coordinating the production of high-quality export-oriented products with high added value through the introduction of advanced technologies;

• ensuring the timely and high-quality provision of public services based on a transparent system in matters related to subsoil use and industrial safety, improving activities related to artisanal extraction of precious metals, maintaining the State Subsoil Fund and ensuring openness of data;

• ensuring compliance with legislation in the supervision of the mining industry, geology and industrial safety sectors, organising activities to prevent violations in the sector, and strengthening state and public oversight;

• developing the extraction and processing of precious, non-ferrous, ferrous and rare metals, uranium, coal and hydrocarbons through a cluster-based approach, ensuring the interconnection of project and engineering services with research and development activities;

• training modern and highly qualified specialists through the integration of education, science and industry practice, establishing a system for continuous professional development, and facilitating the exchange of technological experience and knowledge through international cooperation;

• commissioning large production capacities, widely digitalising processes at these facilities using advanced software solutions, and linking them with regional infrastructure programmes alongside the provision of necessary energy resources and engineering networks;

• increasing the localisation level of import-substituting and export-oriented production in the sector through the development of inter-industry cooperation;

• preparing legislative acts aimed at improving incentive mechanisms and creating favourable conditions for the wider attraction of foreign and domestic investment into the sector;

• coordinating measures to identify cybersecurity threats, prevent them and implement effective countermeasures within organisations of the Ministry’s system, as well as organisations in the mining, geological and metallurgical sectors.