Foreign mining firms invest more than US$2b in eastern part of RI
Wednesday, September 5 2001 - 02:20 AM WIB
Foreign mining firms have started to operate in the eastern part of Indonesia with total investments of around US$2.1 billion, according to State Minister for Development Acceleration Manuel Kaisiepo.
Manuel said that the investment could create more than 40,000 employment.
?This is fantastic. It?s much more than the $400 million we?re seeking from the International Monetary Fund,? he told reporters following a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Tuesday.
Manuel said that most of the mining investors came from Australia and the U.S. focusing on gold mining North Sulawesi, and nickel in Irian Jaya.
He declined to name the investors.(*)