Samarinda Mayor to issue new policy to end dispute between Lanna Harita, illegal miners

The Samarinda administration in East Kalimantan will issue a new policy that would help end the dispute between joint venture gold mining company PT Lanna Harita Indonesia (LHI) and local cooperatives which have been accused of conducting illegal mining activity in the company's mining area.

Samarinda Mayor Achmad Amins said that the new policy would annul earlier policy issued by his predecessor Lukman Said, which gave a green light to the cooperatives to enter LHI's mining area.

"Basically, LHI and cooperatives will both have a win-win solution, both will benefit, including the administration," Achmad was quoted by the local Kaltim Post daily as saying.

LHI is a joint venture among Thailand, Singapore and Indonesian companies. LHI has complained to the Police about the alleged illegal mining activity conducted by cooperatives particularly the Kewarta KUD cooperatives in the company's Sungai Siring mining area.

But LHI public relations officer Bachtiar said that the local authority has been slow in responding to the company's complaint. He said that until now, the illegal miners were still conducting their activities in the company's site and they seemed to expand their operation.(*)