House may approve new mining policy for protected forests<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives may approve the government's plan to
\nallow mining companies to operate in protected forests, according
\nto legislators.<\/p>\n
Priyo Budi Santoso, a legislator on House Commission VIII for
\nmining and energy, said on Wednesday that the House had set up a
\nspecial team to decide which mining firms could resume
\noperations.<\/p>\n
He said that although the government had proposed 50 mining
\ncompanies, the House might approve fewer than that.<\/p>\n
\"The House will not approve all of them. Some will be
\napproved, and some will be rejected,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Purnomo Yusgiantoro
\nsaid on Tuesday that the government had agreed to let 50 mining
\ncompanies continue operation in protected forests.<\/p>\n
The mining companies were forced to stop their operations in
\n1999 after the government issued Law No. 41\/1999 on forestry,
\nwhich bans open-pit mining in protected forests.<\/p>\n
The law raised concerns among mining investors as it was
\nimplemented after many had conducted expensive explorations in
\nareas that were later designated as protected forests. Reports
\nsaid that some 150 companies had been affected by the ruling.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, legislator Husni Thamrin said that the House
\nspecial team would soon meet with the government to evaluate
\nwhich of the 50 mining firms were eligible for the new plan.<\/p>\n
He said the team would set up a criteria to decide which firms
\ncould resume their operations in protected forests.<\/p>\n
\"The criteria are still being discussed, but environmental,
\nsocial and economic concerns will be taken into account,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He pointed out as an example that mining firms that could
\nprove they had huge mining deposits in their respective areas
\nwould likely be given approval to resume operation.<\/p>\n
Husni dismissed an earlier report in this newspaper saying
\nthat Purnomo would propose that the forestry law be amended,
\nsaying such a move was unnecessary because the law had an escape
\nclause stating that the firms could resume operation in protected
\nforests as long as they had obtained a special permit from the
\nHouse.<\/p>\n
He said that another way was to change the status of the
\nmining areas from a protected forest to a productive forest.<\/p>\n
Separately, Mahendra Siregar, an expert staff member at the
\nOffice of the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, said that
\nthe primary reason for allowing mining firms to resume operation
\nin protected forests was to encourage economic growth,
\nparticularly in eastern Indonesia where most of the sites of the
\n50 mining firms are located.<\/p>\n
He explained that economic development in the eastern part of
\nIndonesia for now could be accelerated via investment in the
\nmining sector as investment activities in other sectors could not
\nbe expected in the near future due to a lack of infrastructure
\nand qualified manpower in the region.<\/p>\n
He said that the second reason was to honor mining contracts
\nissued to the mining companies, most of which belong to
\nmultinational firms.<\/p>\n
\"The contracts were signed before 1999, and should be honored
\nto create a good investment climate in Indonesia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry had long opposed reviving the mining
\ncontracts in protected forests, although Purnomo claimed on
\nTuesday that the ministry had now agreed to the plan.<\/p>\n
But the move will surely draw protest from environmental
\ngroups, which have long argued that allowing open-pit mining
\nactivities in protected forests would endanger wildlife and
\nindigenous tribes in the areas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/house-may-approve-new-mining-policy-for-protected-forests-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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