South Sumatra community fails to benefit from existence of Bukit Asam

Experts in South Sumatra said that the local villagers of the Tanjung Enim area have not received much economic benefit from the existence of the state owned coal mining firm PT Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam.

Tajudin Husin, a lecturer at the local University of Sriwijaya, said in a seminar at the weekend that Bukit Asam had failed to lift the social and economic status of the local villagers in the Tanjung Enim area, the location of the mining site of the company.

He said that the local villagers instead had to sacrifice including by releasing their agriculture land to the state company.

He urged the company to allocated a specific amount of fund to develop the economy of the local area.

Meanwhile, Bukit Asam president Sunardi admitted that the company's community development program had not been effective. He called on university and the local administration to help improve the program so that it goes to the intended target.

Bukit Asam provided Rp 2.15 billion in donation in 1998 alone.(*)