House urged to soon agree on resumption of mining projects on protected forests

The government has called on the House of Representatives (DPR) to soon agree to allow mining investors to resume their projects in protected forest areas.

Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti said on Tuesday the government hoped that the first chance be given to 22 investors as earlier proposed by the government.

The projects of the 22 companies were among the 150 mining projects on protected and conservation forests affected by the implementation of Law No. 41/1998 which disallowed open pit mining on the forests. The 150 projects are mostly located in the eastern part of Indonesia.

?We hope that DPR will soon decide how many companies can resume their projects,? Dorodjatun said in a year-end news conference on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, DPR and the Ministry of Forestry were reported to have agreed in principle to allow six of the 22 investors to resume their projects.

The six firms were PT Weda Bay Nikel and PT Nusa Halmahera (both located in Maluku province), PT Gag Nikel (Papua), PT Galuh Cempaka (South Kalimantan), PT Jorong Barutama (Papua) and PT Darisan Tropical Mining (South Sumatra).

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Purnomo Yusgiantoro said on Tuesday long-running controversies over mining projects in protected forests could have adverse impacts on investment climate in the mining sector. (godang)