Hamzah Haz supports E. Kalimantan's fight for KPC shares

Vice President Hamzah Haz supports the East Kalimantan provincial administration?s fight to purchase a 51 percent stake in coal mining giant PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC), East Kalimantan provincial council member Sukardi Jarwoputro said on Friday.

?Technically, I will write a letter to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources to give attention to the East Kalimantan people?s plight. I will also ask that the KPC shares be sold to local investors or directly to the provincial government?s firms,? Sukardi quoted the vice president as saying in his meeting in Jakarta with a delegation of over 50 people from East Kalimantan, East Kalimantan based Kaltim Post daily reported.

The delegation, who claimed to represent 34 political and non government organizations (NGOs), asked the Vice President to support East Kalimantan's plan to purchase KPC shares which are set to be divested by end-June.

The East Kalimantan administration insists that it become the preferred bidder for the 51 percent stake in KPC.

Meanwhile, the central government and several private investors are also ready to file their bid for the KPC shares.

KPC is the world?s largest coal mining firm equally owned by Anglo-Australian Rio Tinto and Anglo-American BP Plc.

It operates coal mines in Sangatta in East Kutai Regency, East Kalimantan. (*)