 In December, 2009, a new Mineral Resources Act was passed which, among other changes, created a legal system for small-scale exploration and mining of minerals.These provisions were specifically and exclusively designed to allow Greenlanders to obtain mining rights with a simplified system and reduced fees.The 16 August Union contends that Greenlanders cannot afford the cost of the permits and that the new permit system is too complex and claim that BMP's actions show that the government favours foreign mining interests over Greenlanders.