Freeport will not be closed: Vice President

Vice President Jusuf Kalla emphasized on Tuesday that the government has no intention to close down mining company Freeport, the Investor Daily Indonesia newspaper reported in its Wednesday edition.

?Freeport is important for the people of Papua. If it has to be closed, it is not possible. There are workers and there are works. There are also taxes for the country, including Papuan people,? Kalla said on Tuesday in Jakarta.

He further said that the government will not cancel the contract of work which it had signed with Freeport. However, the government will evaluate the contract once in every five years.

?We must honor the contract of work with Freeport. If there is any problem, we will evaluate it once in every five years,? Kalla said.

According to Kalla, the situation now at the Freeport mine and its surrounding areas was far better compared to the previous days. He promised that the Freeport issue would be settled in a good manner.

Meanwhile, in Papua, the provincial legislative council?s deputy speaker, Komarudin Watubun, told Antara he would send a letter to the central government demanding a suspension of Freeport?s operations in Papua. This would give his office and the Papua People?s Council(MRP) to study the firm?s two working contract and seek a possible revision.

The MRP planned to convene a plenary meeting to discuss the Freeport operations on March 22, he said. (*)