S. Kalimantan face problems in regulating iron ore mining permits

South Kalimantan?s Mining Office said it has difficulties in supervising the iron ore mining operations in the province because the regents, who issued the mining permits, never reported to the provincial administration about their actions, Kompas reported on Saturday.

Information about the regencies' permits came to light when the mining companies have problems, for example, the arrest of illegal miners by the police.

?We have never received any report about the number of permits that have been issued by the regents,? South Kalimantan?s Mining Agency head Sukardi said in Banjarmasin on Friday.

He said that his office had several times asked the regents to send a report about the permits they had issued but they turned deaf ears to the request.

?Officials of South Kalimantan Mining Office have become witnesses to the illegal iron ore mining. We estimate that the number of permits issued by the regents have reached hundreds,? Sukardi said.

The illegal mining activities have been going on because the applicants start their operation after getting the permits from the regents and without following the procedure like obtaining permission to barrow and use the forest area.

South Kalimantan has an estimated 560 million tons deposits of iron ore. (*)