W. Sumatra mining office does not contribute income

The head of West Sumatra's mining department, Drs. H. Nadran Agus, his office had not contributed any money to the provincial administration's local revenues because his office was not assigned to earn any profit.

Nadran said his office was tasked by the government to take care of illegal miners so that they would not destroy the environment and endanger their own lives.

He noted that his office would never be able to contribute any fund to the provincial administration when the Law No. 22/1999 on Regional Autonomy comes into force because with the new law, his office would have less and less responsibility.

Under the new law, most responsibilities would lie with regencies, so that provincial office of the mine department would only coordinate mining activities across regencies or supervise big mining activities that use heavy equipment for plots of over 5 hectares.

Nadran said licenses for small mining activities in areas of less than 5 hectares would be granted by regents or district heads, and licenses for mining activities in areas of more than 5 hectares must be given by the governor. (*)