Local administrations responsible for controlling illegal miners: Official

As local administrations are now authorized to issue mining permits, they hold responsible for controlling ex-illegal mining sites and companies who neglect their obligation, a senor official at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said on Tuesday.

Director General of Mineral, Geothermal and Coal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Simon F Sembiring was quoted by Kompas as saying in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan that the central government still held responsible for supervising the PKP2B (Coal Contract of Work) holders' activities.

However, local administration, who have given rights to issue KP (Mining Contracts) under the autonomy law, should hold responsible for any negligence made by the KP holders. ?We (central government) have given the authority (to local administration). The authority does not only cover the issuance of permit but also control and upgrading aspects,? Simon said.

Meanwhile, regency administration across Indonesia, whose land produce coal, has declared the establishment of cooperation forum.

The cooperation forum under the name Regional Body for Coal Producer Throughout Indonesia was set up in a meeting in Balikpapan on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by representatives from at least 44 regencies from 21 Indonesian provinces.

East Kutai Regent Awang Faroek, who hosted the meeting, said that the body might also serve as forum for regencies whose land produce other minerals given that other regencies with nickels and other minerals as natural resources wished to join the forum. ?Then, the name might be changed into a Regional Association for Coal and Mineral Resources Producers Cooperation Across Indonesia,? he said. (*)