13 coal miners OK with revised clauses of contract

By Adianto P. Simamora

Minerals and Coal Director General at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Thamrin Sihite said that 13 holders of coal contract of work, locally known as PKP2B have fully agreed with the revised clauses of its mining contracts to meet the requirement stipulated under 2009 mining law.

?We will submit it (result of contract renegotiation) to the Energy and Mineral Resource Minister (Jero Wacik) for approval before being brought to Coordinating Minister for Economy (Hatta Rajasa),? he said on Tuesday.

Coordinating Minister for Economy would invite the related ministers to discuss the agreement and will then submit the proposal to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for final say.

Coal miners agreeing with the revised clauses of contracts among others are PT Tanjung Alam Jaya, PT Selo Argo Kencono Sakti, PT Sumber Kurnia Buana, PT Bangun Benua Persada Kalimantan and PT Batu Alam Selaras.

Thamrin declined to expose names of the remaining companies, just reiterated that the revision of contract covers six main issues namely the size of mining areas, contract extensions, the amount of royalties to be paid to the government, obligations to process raw materials in Indonesia, divestment, and the use of local goods and services.

Editing by David Mustakim