Inco's contract disputed

UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): The speaker of the province's legislative council, M. Amin Syam, asked the government on Monday to change its contract with PT International Nickel Indonesia (Inco) to benefit the province more.

Speaking at a dialog with the Supreme Advisory Board here, Amin Syam noted that 80 percent of royalties paid by nickel miner Inco went to the central government while the provincial administration only received 20 percent.

He said the division should be reversed so that the central government took only 20 percent and the local administration got 80 percent.

If that happened, the South Sulawesi administration would collect Rp 128 billion (14.2 million) per annum from Inco.

Inco president Rumengan Musu, of Torajan descent, said any changes to the contract could not be implemented until the current contract expired in 2025. (37)