Timah to boost tin output target next year

State-owned tin mining company PT Timah raised its production target for next year to 45,000 tons from this year target of 40,000 tons.

Timah will also raise for this year target by 4.1 percent, said the company's president director Thobrani Alwi Tuesday. Still, the revised target for 2006 is 4.3 percent lower than last year's production of 41,799 tons.

Tin price may average $10,000 a ton till the year end, and exceed an average of $10,000 next year on the rising sales to China, he said.

"China wants to buy tin ingots from us too," Alwi said in Jakarta.

"Indonesia is a big supplier to Asia, especially Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, and also to Europe such as France, Italy and Poland," Alwi added.(godang)