The mines ministry is understood to have approached the law ministry to ascertain whether the proposed National Mineral Regulatory Authority (NMRA) could be empowered to review the envisaged profit-sharing formula. According to the proposed formula, which the mines ministry had inserted in the initial Draft Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Bill, 2010, miners will be mandated to share 26 per cent of their net profits (of the previous year) or an amount equivalent to royalty, whichever is more, annually, with the local populace. However, the ministry, now, in a revised version of the Bill, has decided to add one more clause indicating its willingness to be flexible on the issue by seeking to empower the NMRA to revise the profit-sharing percentage. "Provided that the Central government may, after taking into consideration the reports and recommendations of the NMRA, by notification, revise the profit-sharing percentage, and fix different rates in respect of different minerals having regard to the economy of mining in respect of such minerals," the new clause now states. Earlier, the Planning Commission had also advised against the proposed mechanism, saying that it could jeopardise potential investments. Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia recently said, "If we end up with too high a cumulative royalty burden compared with international standards, this will only discourage future investments in the mining sector.