Kuntoro said to be a candidate of Freeport new president
Wednesday, February 24 2016 - 04:11 AM WIB
US-based Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc is reviewing three candidates to fill in the post of president director of its Indonesian subsidiary PT Freeport Indonesia, according to a source.
The source told Petromindo.com that that the three candidates include former Indonesian minister of mining and energy Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, former Air Force Chief Ceppy Hakim, and PT Freeport Executive President for Public Affairs Clementio Lumury.
The post has been left vacant after Maroef Sjamsoedin tendered resignation in January of this year.
PT Freeport Spokesman Riza Pratama said that he has yet to get confirmation from the parent firm over the list of the candidates, and declined to provide further comments.
Director General of Mineral and Coal Bambang Gatot Ariyono also declined to comment. The government has more than 9 percent stake in PT Freeport, which operates the giant Grasberg gold and copper mine in Papua.
The source said that Freeport is likely to pick Kuntoro as the company seeks to improve relations with the Indonesian government. PT Freeport has been under the spotlight as it is likely to fail to meet the 2017 deadline in building required domestic copper smelter, and is currently in the process of divesting a 10.64 percent to Indonesian investors including the government.
The company has also engaged in protracted negotiation process with the government over a proposed revision of its mining contract of work. PT Freeport is also seeking for an early extension of its mining contract as it plans to invest more than US$15 billion in an underground mine.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak