New effort to curb illegal mining may not succeed amid backlash from local administration

The new effort to curb illegal mining activity in South Kalimantan province may not be successful amid signs of opposition from Kotabaru Regent Sjahrani Mataja, the local Banjarmasin Post daily reported on Saturday.

The paper quoted provincial legislator Misri Syarkawai as saying that the planned new ruling to curb illegal mining activity could not be implemented effectively without the full support of the particular district or regent administration.

Misri said that the provincial governor could no longer easily instruct regents to follow his wish following the implementation of the regional autonomy policy earlier this year, which provides regional government greater authority in managing social and economic affairs.

He said that the South Kalimantan governor must invite Sjahrani as well as other regents to be active in designing the new ruling on illegal mining activity.

Sjahrani was quoted by the press as saying earlier that he would not follow the instruction of South Kalimantan governor to curb the illegal mining activity in Kotabaru. He said that he had his own programs.(*)