Mining director general starts nationwide tour to hand over mining documents

Director general of geology and mineral resources at the ministry of energy and mineral resources Wimpy S. Tjetjep started on Friday a nationwide tour to officially hand mining documents, including mining contracts that had been signed by the government, to the regions as part of the implementation of the autonomy law.

Wimpy said he would first visit the West Nusa Tenggara province, then South Sumatra and East Kalimantan.

?This aims to speed up the regional autonomy,? Wimpy told Petromindo.Com Friday morning prior to his air travel to West Nusa Tenggara?s capital of Mataram.

Wimpy was accompanied by director of mineral and coal development Mahyudin Lubis during the trip to Mataram.

He said the mining documents would be delivered to the provinces? governors, who are expected to subsequently pass them to heads of the regencies where mining companies have operations.

Under the Autonomy Law No. 22/1999, regents become the top officials responsible for the supervision of natural resources development in their respective areas, including the development of mining resources.

The autonomy law officially took effect early this year, but many officials are still reluctant to transfer the central government?s rights to the regions, citing the lack of skilled human resources and modern infrastructure in the regions. They thus prefer a gradual transfer to an immediate transfer of the rights.

Many mining investors are also opposed to an immediate transfer of the right, saying the regions are not yet prepared to manage mining industry.

But, Wimpy said he would go ahead with his plan of handing over all mining documents to the regions.

?We shall hand over the documents to the regions regardless of whether they are not yet or already prepared for the autonomy,? Wimpy said. (Godang)