Councilors reject illegal coal funds

Funds collected from the disposal of illegal coal or coal dead stocks in South Kalimantan have reached Rp1.140 billion. However, a number of councilors rejected the South Kalimantan administration's plan to put the fund under the provincial budget because the fund was considered religiously illegal.

"Levies from the illegal coals should not be drawn or collected," said Addy Ch Hanafiah, a member of the South Kalimantan legislative body after a hearing with the head of the S. Kalimantan administration's finance bureau.

Addy of the Golkar Party faction said if the coals were illegal, and therefore, if the local government imposed the levies on illegal coals, the levies were illegal, and it should not be included in the budget.

He also said that the local administration could not impose any levy unless it is approved by local legislative body, and therefore, the imposition of the levy was also illegal.

He suggested that the local government to confiscate all the coals and give stern penalties to the miners to discourage further illegal mining activities.

However, Addy said the council should also know the exact amount of money that had been collected from the dispensation for the transportation of the illegal coals.

According to Armain Janit, an assistant to the secretary of the South Kalimantan administration, some of the levy funds had been deposited with the provincial development bank under the administration's account. Currently, the amount of the fund totaled Rp 1.14 billion. (*)