Central Kalimantan government asked to legalize illegal miners

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro has asked the local government in Central Kalimantan to legalize activities of thousands of illegal miners in the province, Media Indonesia reported on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters during his brief visit to the provincial capital of Palangka Raya on Wednesday, Purnomo said that by legalizing their operations, the local government would have a better access to control their activities.

"It will be better to legalize their operations so that their activities could be easily monitored," he said, adding that under the existing autonomy regulation, the regencies had the authority to issue mining permits.

But the minister said that the local residents should be given the first priority to get the required mining permits to ensure that the mining operations would be able to provide utmost benefits for the welfare of the local people.

There are thousands of illegal gold and coal miners in the province, who mostly use traditional mining equipment in conducting their activities. The illegal miners have been blamed for the damages in the environment in many parts of the province. (*)