Govt to ask state firms to build smelter for small miners

By Bambang Atmaja

The government would ask state-owned enterprises to construct smelters in areas where no private companies are interested, while small and medium-scale miners are operating, a minister said.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Hatta Rajasa said that the smelters would process and refine mineral ores produced by the small and medium-scale miners after the government introduce export ban on the raw commodities.

?If there is no willingness (to build smelter) in an area, where there are many small and middle scale miners, certainly the government will push state firms to invest there and purchase unprocessed mining products for smelting and processing,? Hatta told Petromindo.com at the State Palace on Wednesday.

On financing, Hatta said that the state firms would bear the costs, but not the state budget. ?We have Antam and others. The funds will be paid by the firms,? he said.

There are thousands of small and middle scale miners operating across the vast archipelago country, lacking of funds have pushed them to complain over the continuity of their business involving many workers.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak