Freeport?s, Newmont?s agreement required in any plan to review contracts: Purnomo
Monday, February 17 2003 - 06:21 AM WIB
The government in principle can review mining contracts with PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Newmont, but doing so must be based on an agreement with them, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said Monday.
?If the government reviews the contracts one-sidedly, it could be brought to international arbitration panels,? Purnomo told a parliamentary hearing in response to a written question from legislators.
House members said that some community groups had called for a review over Freeport?s and Newmont?s contracts.
PT Freeport Indonesia, a 91 percent-owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., operates a huge copper and gold mine in Papua province. Meanwhile, Newmont currently operates gold mines in North Sulawesi and West Nusa Tenggara provinces. (godang)