Laut Island to remain free from mining activities
Monday, November 13 2000 - 04:30 AM WIB
Kotabaru regent H Sjachrani Mataja said that he remained with his earlier commitment that there would be no mining activities on Laut Island.
Speaking before Kotabaru Council, Sjachrani confirmed that when he was in Hannover, Germany, a number of investors told him that they were interested in mining investment on Laut Island.
"But we rejected the offer because we have been committed that Laut Island is free from mining activities," he said on Friday evening.
"Even if they enter and invest here based on an agreement between PT Samaju Eka
Pratama and Doutche Montan Technologi (DMO), they will mine an area on the Kalimantan mainland," he added.
Sjachrani's assurance contradicted with the statement from South Kalimantan governor Sjachriel Darham, who said recently that Sjahrani had signed a mining agreement with PT Arutmin on an area of 10,000 hectares on Laut Island.
But Sjachrani insisted that he would stick to his commitment of making Laut Island free from mining activities.
"Why Arutmin is willing to hand over its mining area on Laut Island? It's because they know our commitment that Laut Island must be free from mining activities," he reiterated.
Sjachrani noted that many German investors were interested in mining coal in South Kalimantan, especially Kotabaru because of the good quality coal produced in the area, even better than those produced in German.
However, Sjachrani noted that the coals offered to investors were those on Kalimantan mainland, and not Laut island, located in Kotabaru and Pelaihari districts.
He added that the German investors would use under-ground mining technology, and not an open pit like that employed by PT Arutmin. With under-ground technology, Sjachrani said, it could minimize the impacts on the environmental.
He said about 90 percent of investment commitment made during the visit of officials from South Kalimantan to Germany and some other European countries led by governor Sjachriel Darham would be made in Kotabaru.
They included a US$400 million cement plant project that would be built on Kelumpang Hulu subdistrict. The memorandum of understanding to build the plant was signed on Oct. 24, by PT Anjungan Kelumpang Hulu and Bulfinger of Germany.
Besides, PT Marga Buana Bumi Mulia will build a US$1.2 billion pulp plant in Kotabaru. They would use swampy plants as raw materials for the pulp plant. The plants would be planted in Kotabaru and Tanah Laut districts. (*)