Timah ready to collect output from illegal miners

IDX-listed tin giant PT Timah Tbk said it is ready to implement the instruction of President Joko Widodo to absorb output produced by illegal miners operating at its tin concession in Bangka Belitung Province, Kontan reported Tuesday.

The paper quoted Corporate Secretary Agung Nugroho as saying that Timah will start implementing the instruction of the President, following recent visit to Bangka Belitung, once the necessary environmental impact assessment permit for the vessels used by the small miners have been obtained, thus turning them into legal miners.

Agung said that the permit is expected to be issued in August. He added that Timah will not buy the output, but merely collecting them and selling it to the market for the miners.

He estimated that there are 1,640 vessels operating at the Timah offshore concession, each comprising of four miners, thus making a total of 6,560 miners, with daily combined output of 16 tons per day, or 6,000 tons per year. (*)