Miners called on to recruit more local people
Thursday, January 5 2012 - 08:42 AM WIB
Indonesian Association of Geologist (IAGI) has called on mining companies to recruit people residing surrounding mining sites, thereby minimizing disputes that could disturb productions as already hit several mining firms in the country.
The call was addressed during the association?s press conference disclosing its analysis on the geological and mining events in 2011 and outlook for 2012, on Thursday.
The association said that a series of protests against mining activities which often blocked access to mining sites, cessations of the mining activities and burning the drilling and mining equipments as well as exploration camps increased in 2011 compared to the previous years. The association however did not present detail figures of such incidents.
?The government needs to educate the public on the exploration and mining activities in order to prevent such incidents,? the association chairman Rovicky Dwi Putrohari said, adding that the miners should also put priority to recruit more local people to work on the mining sites.
The association also urged the government to take stern actions in enforcing law on miners requiring the companies to implement the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and improve the environmental condition by realizing the good mining practice.
?Failing to improve the condition would worsen the public's negative perceptions on mining,? he said.
Rovicky also urged the government to soon complete the assessment on the so-called clear and clean status of mining companies.
?The government needs to finalize regulations on mining area and resolve the overlapping land ownership,? he said.