Govt bars South Kalimantan from issuing mining licenses

The central government has instructed South Kalimantan government to stop from issuing more licenses for mining companies amid concerns over the multitude of mining licenses already issued in the province.

?We have barred South Kalimantan from issuing licenses until August this year,? director general of mineral, coal and geothermal resources at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Simon F. Sembiring said on Thursday.

Simon said the province had issued too many mining licenses, something that could pose serious threat to the area?s environment.

Under the autonomy law, the central government has the management of natural resources to the regions. Regional governments thus now have the right to issue licenses to mining companies ? a right which was previously controlled by the central government (Godang)