Govt to closely monitor coalminers in East Kutai

The government will intensity its monitoring on the activities of at least 29 coal mining companies in East Kutai regency, East Kalimantan after learning that only a few of them have met the obligation to report their activities to the local mining office, Samarinda-based Kaltim Post daily reported on Tuesday.

The head of the mining office in East Kutai regency, Roos Darno said that only five of the 29 coal mining firms operating in the regency regularly reported their activities to his office.

"We would therefore intensify the monitoring so that the operation of the coal mining companies will remain under control," he said.

The volume of coal produced in the regency has reached about 100 million tons since the coal mining was first introduced in the province in 1982. Most of the coal productions are exported to Japan, Taiwan and the United States and Europe. (*)