Sebuku gets export permit from trade ministry
Saturday, June 21 2014 - 04:34 AM WIB
The Trade Ministry has finally issued permit for PT Sebuku Iron Lateritic Ores to export 3 million tons per year of iron ore concentrates, Director General for Foreign Trade at the ministry Bachrul Chairi said.
It is the first export approval issued by the ministry since the government slapped a broad export ban on mineral ores on Jan. 12 of this year.
?Yes, that is right, ? Bachrul told Petromindo.com in a text message on Friday when asked whether the firm has obtained the export approval letter (SPE). ?The SPE is for exporting iron ores concentrate,? he added.
PT Sebuku has put down a deposit worth US$12 million into government?s accounts as a form of the company?s seriousness in building the necessary domestic smelter, Director General of Mineral and Coal, R. Sukhyar said.
Putting down the deposit and having smelter plan in place are one of the requirements set by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources for mineral concentrate producers to be able to obtain export recommendation letter from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, which is necessary in order to obtain export approval letter from the Ministry of Trade.
Sukhyar said that three other concentrate producers including PT Freeport Indonesia, PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara and PT Lumbung Sentosa have yet to secure the export permit.
Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak