Antam questions the permit for its Bahubulu nickel mine

State owned mining company PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) has questioned the Ministry of Forestry over the delay in the issuance of the exploration permit for the company's Bahubulu nickel mine in South east Sulawesi, Neraca reported on Monday.

Egi Sudjana, Antam's legal advisor, said in Jakarta on Saturday that the ministry had not issued the permit although Antam had met all the requirements needed to obtain such a license.

According to him, the ministry had no reasons to continue to delay the issuance of the license because, besides the company had met all the requirements, it had not violated the existing law.

"Logically, if all the requirements have been met and if there is no problem with the law, the company should be allowed to resume its exploration activities," he said.

PT Antam, which operates large nickel mines in South east Sulawesi, has received the approval from the minister of energy and mineral resources to open a new mining site in Bahubulu conservation area in the province as part of its expansion program.

The decision to allow the development of a nickel mine in the conservation area had been protested by local residents. The local forestry office has allowed the company to go ahead with its plan as long as it is able to protect the conservation area. (*)