New task force established to settle mining problems

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry has formed a new task force to help settle mining problems including overlapping mining areas, Kontan reported on Monday.

Dede I Suhendar, the director for mining development at the ministry, said in Jakarta last week that the task force would comprise representatives from the national police, the Attorney General?s Office, the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the local governments both in province and regency levels, the Home Affairs Ministry, Geospatial and Information Agency and other related ministry.

He said that the task force would have the duty to speed up the process in settling overlapping mining areas as part of the government?s program to determine the actual mineral reserves in the country?s mining sector.

Last year, the ministry has imposed a clear and clean process to mining companies seeking export permits to support the policy. The companies have to obtain a clear and clean status from the energy and mineral resources ministry in order to be able to apply for export permits at the trade ministry.

Many companies, however, are still unable to get the clear and clean status because they still have problems with their mining permits or part of their mining areas overlap with those of other mining firms.

Up to now, only 3,268 of the total mining permits of 6,907 have obtained a clear and clean status. It means that almost a half of the mining permits in the country are still problematic. (*)