Sonny: Freeport audit result contains weaknesses
Monday, February 21 2000 - 04:00 AM WIB
Minister of Environment/Head of the Environmental Impact Assessment Agency (Bapedal) Sonny Keraf said on Saturday that his office would audit the giant gold mining firm PT Freeport Indonesia because the company's own audit contained many weaknesses.
"We have summoned Freeport to discuss the problem," Sonny said.
He said that one of the weaknesses was that Freeport's environmental audit contains irregularities that must immediately clarified.
Sonny said that because of this irregularities and complaints from the local people, his office would launch its own environmental audit on Freeport.
Separately, Minister of Mines and Energy Bambang S. Yudhoyono said that the government would form an integrated team to evaluate Freeport's mining contract amid increasing concern over the company's poor commitment toward the environment and the development of the local Irian Jaya people.(*)