Indonesia update
Published by MAC on 2007-02-03
Indonesia update
3rd February 2007
Although Indonesia has banned sand exports to Singapore, farmers in the Indonesian central Java region. recently hit by an earthquake, abandoned farming for sand mining.
The Newmont pollution trial in Indonesia continues with former president director of the Newmont Minahasa Raya operations, Richard Ness, presenting his case last week. Ness denies that Newmont polluted Buyat Bay and made people sick. Ness also stated that the company had not violated any Indonesian regulations.
Indonesia's uncertain mining investment climate continues to be of concern to the mining industry as new laws are about to be ushered in giving greater control to the provinces in contracts with the mining companies in their regions. Both Newmont and Rio Tinto have compared Indonesia unfavourably to the more liberalised taxation regimes prevailing in the Philippines and Chile.