Freeport never pays export tax: legislator

The giant gold and copper mining company PT Freeport Indonesia in West Papua has never paid a 5 percent export tax to the government since it started its gold and copper exploitation in 1967, according to visiting member of the House of Representatives Max Moein.

Max said that this had caused the state to suffer huge losses.

Max was speaking during a meeting with West Papua Governor and other local administration officials. Max was leading a House team to visit Freeport mining operation in Tembagapura.

But Max lambasted Freeport management for rejecting the legislators. He said that the management offer to visit the mining operation in October could not be accepted because the legislators were already in a recess period by that time. (R. Amoros)