Legislators asked to monitor ban on tin exports

The management of tin mining company PT Timah has called on members of the House of Representatives (DPR) to help monitor the implementation of the ban. Without the political support from the government and the legislators the ban would not be effective.

PT Timah?s president director Thobrani Alwi said in Jakarta on Thursday that the ban, which began effective on June 1, could cause smuggling activities if related authorities such as the police and customs officials did not support the ban.

According to him, activities of tin ore smuggling still continue despite the ban. The tin ore is mostly smuggled to Singapore before being shipped to Malaysia.

The government bans the tin exports to eliminate illegal tin mining activities in the country, particularly in Bangka island where most of the tin deposits are founded. The tin exports have also worsened the oversupply in the tin market.

PT Timah, which is now in serious financial problem due to the falling tin prices, previously held the exclusive rights in the production of tin in the country.

Thobrani said that exports of tin ores from seven companies outside PT Timah reached about 38,500 tons including 11,000 tons from Kobatin. Meanwhile PT Timah produced about 7,274 tin ore during the first quarter of this year. During the same period, the state owned mining company?s tin metal production reached 6,349 tons, while its exports totaled 5,861 tons. (*)