* Government wants to up fines for damaging environment
* Colombia to clamp down on abuses by communities
* Investors lacking environmental standards not welcome
By Helen Murphy and Jack Kimball
BOGOTA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Resource-rich Colombia will ramp up sanctions against companies in the booming oil and mining sectors that abuse the environment and fail to abide by protection norms, a government minister said on Wednesday.
The government will adopt a "carrot and stick" approach to raise the standards of firms that plough money into the Andean nation's mountain ranges and jungles to extract oil, gold and coal, Environment Minister Frank Pearl said.
Colombia has attracted record investment over the last decade as a U.S.-backed offensive against rebel groups cuts the number of workers kidnapped and killed around mining and oil installations, making exploration for oil and minerals safer.
"The consequences should really have an impact," Pearl told Reuters in an interview.
"The fines should no longer be a joke; the fines and sanctions are sometimes paid by companies out of petty cash ... The fine has to hurt," said Pearl, who took the post in September last year.
Colombia received almost $15 billion in foreign direct investment last year, up from just $2.1 billion in 2002 when guerrilla groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia roamed almost freely across great expanses of mining territory.
Companies flocking to Colombia to take advantage of improved security and better financial terms have put a strain on Colombia's institutions as requests for mining and environmental permits have soared.
Many companies complain of long waits for environmental permits, which along with infrastructure deficiencies have become a major bottleneck for the oil and mining sectors.
"We have very weak institutions today, it's a newly created ministry ... with a very small budget. We don't have the resources or economics, neither human nor technological, nor in terms of organizational culture and processes to live up to the task we have today. There is a gap," Pearl said.
Finding a balance between environmental issues and extractive industries when commodity prices are high is one of the main challenges for Latin America's largest coal producer and fourth-biggest exporter of oil.
Pearl said he would clamp down on abuses by civilian and indigenous groups that fraudulently seek to benefit from social and economic programs in mining areas, holding up licensing for projects.
He cited delays in a coal mine, rail and port projects by Brazil's MPX, which was supposed to start production late this year. The company says output has been stalled for at least 18 months.
"We are going to give more teeth ... to avoid such abuses," Pearl said. "Those people who want to blackmail private companies and blackmail the government can just forget it."
Last decade, Colombia was on the verge of becoming a net oil importer. But as government troops battered rebel groups, pushing them deeper into heavy jungle, the nation has attracted dozens of multinationals.
Colombia will seek out international firms with strong environmental practices and have them train other companies, Pearl said, citing as an example the nation's main coal exporter, Cerrejon, which is a joint venture between BHP Billiton, Anglo American and Xstrata.
"Colombia has a great opportunity, we have an enormous amount of riches and we have to take advantage of it correctly," Pearl said.
"The investors that are spooked by environmental issues are the investors we don't want to have. The investors we want are the sophisticated companies that understand environmental issues are a priority," he said. (Reporting by Helen Murphy, Jack Kimball and Luis Jaime Acosta; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.