Ministry urges AMNT to submit smelter project plan

Petromindo|Thomas

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has asked gold and copper mining firm PT Amman Mineral Nusa Tenggara (AMNT) to immediately submit detailed plan of its copper smelter project, Kontan reported on Saturday.

The paper quoted Director of Mineral Development and Management at the ministry, Bambang Susigit as saying that as AMNT has been given permit to export copper concentrates, the company must submit the plan for its domestic smelter project, which once approved by the government will be used as a basis in evaluating progress of the project. ?We have asked Amman Mineral to submit the plan,? he said.

He said that the smelter project will be evaluated every six months, and if the company fails to make meaningful progress as set out in the plan, the ministry may revoke the export permit.

The government introduced in January of this year a new regulation allow mining firms to continue export of mineral concentrates for another five years under certain conditions including putting in place plan to develop domestic smelter. The government has set up an independent verification team to assess the domestic smelter project every six months.

AMNT was given a one-year permit in February of this year to export a combined 675,000 tons of copper concentrates.

Meanwhile, Rubi Purnomo, AMNT Spokesman told the paper that the company has been engaged in communication with the ministry and other stakeholders for its planned smelter project. Rubi said the company is confident to complete the project on time as scheduled, but did not say when the company would submit the required detailed plan of the project. (*)