Ministry to start tin smelter audit next month

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources will start auditing tin smelters in Bangka Belitung next month, a two-month delay than the original plan.

Ministry Inspector General Mochtar Husein said Thursday the audit will also involve the Ministry of Trade and the Bangka Belitung provincial administration.

He said that 33 tin smelters will be audited to assess their capacities, source of tin ores, and market particularly export.

The audit result will be used by the government a? the basis in approving their work and budget plans, Mochtar said. "For example, if they propose export of 1,000 tons, but the actual capacity is only 500 tons, they have to revise the work and budget plan," he said, adding that this effort is expected to help stabilize price of the commodity. (*)