South Kalimantan mining firm accussed of damaging local road
Friday, June 11 2004 - 01:46 AM WIB
Diamond mining company PT Galuh Cempaka is facing rising criticism from the local community and administration of Banjarbaru mayoralty in South Kalimantan, the local Banjarmasin Post daily reported on Friday.
Several people contacted by the paper said that the company's heavy trucks carrying sands and muds had damaged the local road.
The paper also quoted the Banjarbaru deputy mayor Rahmat Thohir as saying that Galuh Cempaka had not been transparent with its operation. He pointed that the company's exploration work had been going on for two years but it had not informed the local administration whether the company had moved to exploitation stage. This is linked to local tax contribution issue.
Galuh is jointly owned by state mining firm PT Aneka Tambang (20 percent) and BM Diamondcorp of Canada (80 percent.
Its mining concession covers an area of 300 ha in the Banjarbaru sub district.(*)