Cooperatives to enter gold, coal mining production
Wednesday, September 20 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Two village cooperatives (KUDs) have applied for government permits to operate gold and coal mining activities in Bengkulu, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Wednesday.
Zulkifli Lubis, a senior official at the province's mining office, said in Bengkulu on Tuesday that KUD Sinar Murni had applied a permit to operate 99-hectare gold mining concession in South Lebong district in the Rejang Lebong regency, while the other cooperative KUD sought for a license to operate a 97-hectare coal mining area in Taba Penanjung, North Bengkulu.
He said that two companies had submitted their applications to the then Ministry of Mines and Energy in 1998 but up to now, the two KUDs had not obtained their permits.
"They could not obtain their permits because they have yet to submit documents on the environmental impact analyses of their future mining operations," he was quoted as saying by the daily.
He said unlike the two KUDs, other cooperatives such as Puskud Bengkulu obtained the government permit to operate a 100-hectare mining area in relatively short period because the cooperative was able to meet all the necessary requirements including the document on the environmental impact analyses. (*)