By Ranga Prakoso, October 21, 2013.
The Jakarta Globe
Details are emerging as to how the government will allow case-by-case extensions to next year’s deadline of a mineral export ban, a top official said in Jakarta. Initial indications suggest it will include export quotas and collateral from mining companies.
Companies are likely to miss the deadline set by a 2009 law forcing them to process all their ore domestically or risk shutting down their operations and laying off thousands of workers.
After the deadline has passed, companies would be unable to export raw minerals.
The government is sending out a team to verify 28 smelter projects across the country. The findings would provide the basis for extensions to the deadline.
The team, comprising officials from the industry, energy and mineral resources, and trade ministries will verify the progress being made by mining companies to determine their commitment to the new regulations, said Dede Ida Suhendra, director of mineral concession and development at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
“The results of the verification will be the starting point for determining a company’s mineral ore export quota in 2014,” Dede said on Sunday.
He said companies would have to pay a bond to the government as collateral they would finish the smelter by a stated deadline. The verification team would give a recommendation for the amount of the bond while the government and economists will have the final say.
Should the company fail to complete the smelter on time the government would keep the collateral.
Susilo Siswoutomo, deputy minister of energy and mineral resources, said on Friday miners that proved their commitment to processing mineral commodities domestically would be allowed to continue exporting for a specified period.
Susilo said the government would ask the House of Representatives how to allow mineral exports without having to revise the 2009 law.
Mining companies have had several years to plan for the local processing requirement, since the law requiring it was enacted in 2009, but they have been reluctant to start work citing long-term, existing contracts with smelters overseas.
With an election in 2014 the government — faced with the politically embarrassing prospect of companies forced to close and lay off large numbers of employees — has been scrambling to find an exit strategy that pushes for the law’s provisions without seeing mass layoffs.
The Jakarta Globe
Details are emerging as to how the government will allow case-by-case extensions to next year’s deadline of a mineral export ban, a top official said in Jakarta. Initial indications suggest it will include export quotas and collateral from mining companies.
Companies are likely to miss the deadline set by a 2009 law forcing them to process all their ore domestically or risk shutting down their operations and laying off thousands of workers.
After the deadline has passed, companies would be unable to export raw minerals.
The government is sending out a team to verify 28 smelter projects across the country. The findings would provide the basis for extensions to the deadline.
The team, comprising officials from the industry, energy and mineral resources, and trade ministries will verify the progress being made by mining companies to determine their commitment to the new regulations, said Dede Ida Suhendra, director of mineral concession and development at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
“The results of the verification will be the starting point for determining a company’s mineral ore export quota in 2014,” Dede said on Sunday.
He said companies would have to pay a bond to the government as collateral they would finish the smelter by a stated deadline. The verification team would give a recommendation for the amount of the bond while the government and economists will have the final say.
Should the company fail to complete the smelter on time the government would keep the collateral.
Susilo Siswoutomo, deputy minister of energy and mineral resources, said on Friday miners that proved their commitment to processing mineral commodities domestically would be allowed to continue exporting for a specified period.
Susilo said the government would ask the House of Representatives how to allow mineral exports without having to revise the 2009 law.
Mining companies have had several years to plan for the local processing requirement, since the law requiring it was enacted in 2009, but they have been reluctant to start work citing long-term, existing contracts with smelters overseas.
With an election in 2014 the government — faced with the politically embarrassing prospect of companies forced to close and lay off large numbers of employees — has been scrambling to find an exit strategy that pushes for the law’s provisions without seeing mass layoffs.
No comments:
Post a Comment