Samarinda plans to cut marketing network of illegal miners

The Samarinda mayoralty administration in East Kalimantan plans to cut the distribution network of coal illegal miners in a bid to help curb the rampant illegal mining activity in the area, according to the local Radar Kaltim daily.

The paper quoted mayoralty deputy secretary HM Fadli Illa as saying that the planned move was a result of week-long meeting with other related local authorities to resolve the illegal mining problem.

?The only way to stop illegal (coal) mining activity is by closing down the distribution channel so that there would be no longer communications between the suppliers and customers,? Fadli said.

Fadli, however, did not clearly explain how the new policy would be implemented.

But he said that the administration was also aware that many of the illegal miners were traditional miners who needed work to support their families. He said that the local government was still discussing ways to resolve this problem.(*)