Aurora Gold threatens to pull out from North Sulawesi
Friday, January 26 2001 - 04:00 AM WIB
Aurora Gold's gold and copper mining operation PT Meares Soputan Mining (MSM) threatens to pull out from the Minahasa regency and Bitung mayoralty if the administration in the two areas fail to curb the increasing illegal mining activities in the company's mining site in Batu Putih, Likupang, and Pinasungkulan.
"We'll pull out from that areas," MSM resident manager Richard P. Lindsay was quoted by the local daily Telegraf.
Richard was speaking during a hearing session between the company and the Bitung House of Representatives.
Richard said that the authority had been slow in curbing the illegal mining activities in the company's mining sites.
He said that the illegal mining activities had caused losses to the company.
The paper also said that MSM had been confused with the current dispute between the Minahasa and Bitung administrations over a border area, which coincidentally is part of the MSM's mining site. The paper said that the company expected the two administrations to immediately settle to problem to provide certainty. (*)