Mining investors want investment office be retained

Mining investors grouped in the Association of Indonesian Mining Businessmen (Gapeti) want the government of Abdurrahman Wahid to retain the office of the state minister of investment.

Gapeti chairman Yusuf Merukh said that merging the office of the state minister of investment into other ministries was not relevant "if it is merged with other ministries investors will face bureaucracy that act slowly."

Yusuf, a commissioner of mining concern PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, added that handling on investment, moreover mining investment, cannot be mixed with handling of other portfolios.

"Even if it is handled by the Ministry of Finance, it will still be difficult to execute because investment in the real sector must be handled by an autonomous institution," he said.

He noted that processing investment licenses must be held under one root and settled quickly "because almost in all sectors, there are investors lining up and preparing for new investment after the formation of the new Cabinet."

"If investment is not handled by a separate agency, it will create new problems," he said. Especially for mining investors, he Yusuf said, they would face arduous bureaucracy if they have to deal with local governments. (*)