Draft of roadmap for downstream mining industry development completed

By Bambang Atmaja

Minister of Industry MS Hidayat said that the draft of the roadmap for the development of downstream mining industry in the country has been presented to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

He told Petromindo.com that according to the roadmap, the ministry is in charge of developing the downstream sector, while the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is in charge of the upstream sector.

Hidayat did not provide further details. The government has said that it would start banning export of mineral ores next year as mandated by the 2009 mining law in a bid to push for the development of the downstream industry at home, by requiring miners to build smelters or cooperate with third parties to build them.

Executive Director of the Indonesian Coal Mining Association (ICMA) said that the investors planning to invest in the downstream sector such as developing smelters would obtain certain incentives from the government.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak