Philippine investors eye marble mining in Kendari

Several Philippine investors have expressed interest in exploiting the huge marble reserves at Moramo district in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi, Astaga.com reported on Friday.

Three of the investors' representatives visited the mining location in February. "Even though they have not decided whether to invest, they are very impressed by the huge deposits, which are estimated to reach thousands of metric tons," Imran, head of Kendari's development and planning agency, said in Kendari on Friday. He did not identify the names of the investors interested in the mining.

The big marble reserves have thus far been exploited by PT Bakrie Brothers but the company temporarily stops operation due to the economic crisis.

Kendari Regency is aggressively promoting its marble reserves in Asia, Europe and the United States with the aim of attracting investors. "Based on a study and analysis by an expert of PT Bakrie, the marble reserves in Moramo can be exploited in hundreds of years," Imran was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying. (*)