"Newmont shows intention to pay taxes to Minahasa regency": Lawyer

Lawyer OC Kaligis, who represents the Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi in dispute with gold mining company Newmont Minahasa Raya, said the gold company had showed intention to pay the dispute C-class taxes to the regency, Manado Post reported.

"If I am not mistaken, Newmont Minahasa Raya will pay the taxes. Let's wait," Kaligis said on Wednesday on the sidelines of the ceremony to install the new governor and vice governor of North Sulawesi province.

Kaligis said he was concerned over what he said the misperception of some people in the province about the lawsuit filed by the regency against the company.

He said the lawsuit was filed not because Newmont's failure to comply with its contract of work but its failure to pay the C-class taxes to the regency.

The C-class tax is term for taxes on C-class mining products, including building materials and industrial minerals.

Newmont refused to pay the taxes because they were not included in the contract of work awarded by the government to the company and the company claimed it did not commercially use the overburden, which the regency claims to contain the C-class mining products.

Kaligis called on the North Sulawesi people to support the regency in its legal efforts against the company.

The paper said the Tondano court is now in the final phase of examining the case.

Newmont presented on Saturday additional evidences to defend its position and the company and the regency were expected to present witnesses in the next hearing on March 25, the paper said. (*)