Govt to restrict export of more mineral ores

By Bambang Atmaja

The government has unveiled plans to control export of more strategic minerals - in addition to the 14 commodities already included in the list of export restriction - in order to boost the downstream industry in Indonesia, Industry Minister MS Hidayat said.

He said that the government would issue regulations, either in the form of export restriction or of shifting the mining right of strategic minerals to the state.

?Later, there will be new rules about several strategic unprocessed mining products, such as gold,? he told Petromindo.com at the State Palace.

For gold, said Hidayat, it was being considered to be only managed and controlled by the state-owned enterprises.

?The plan is, only state-owned firms that will be allowed to manage and explore the gold,? Hidayat, adding that the plans are aimed to advance the downstream industry of mineral products.

?In many foreign countries, all the mineral resources have been controlled (by the state),? he said.

Editing by Adianto P. Simamora