Jakarta regrets the issuance of mining license by Riau Regent
Thursday, September 7 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Director general of mining Surna T. Djajadiningrat regretted the move by Regent of the Kepulauan Riau Abdul Manan S. to issue a mining license to PT Singkep Mas Utama to mine tin mineral in the area.
Surna was quoted by the Suara Karya daily as saying that the regent had issued the license without observing the existing law, pointing out that according to the Law No. 11/1967, the regent could only provide license for C-class mining products.
He said that the issuance of the license had raised a "suspicion" particularly as the move was made at the end of the Regent's term in office.
Surna demanded the Regent to immediately withdraw the mining license.
Suara Karya said that the Regent had made the initiative to issue the license because according to the Law No. 22/1999 on regional autonomy, the Regent had the rights to manage local natural resources including mining minerals.
But the decentralization and regional autonomy in the mining sector would only become effective starting November. (*)