Regents: What to do about Mining Operations in Protected Forests?
Wednesday, 24 September, 2008 | 11:56 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Makassar:Some regents in South Sulawesi province voiced their concern over the many mining potential located inside protected forest areas, at a mining prospects exposé at the South Sulawesi governor office yesterday.



Gowa regent, Ichsan Yasin Limpo said that his area has much mining potential, such as marble, granite and gold. Around 6.000 hectares of land potentially containing gold is situated inside protected forest areas.



At the end of the year, he said, his officials plant to go to China to sign an MoU to start a mining operation in Gowa. However, he claims to have issued operating license to only three companies.


A similar complaint was expressed by Pangkep regent Safrudin Nur, who said, “We are getting a lot of proposals from investors but the problem is that much of the mining potential is inside protected forest areas.”



Gold mine explorations in Pangkep are currently operated by the Sinar Mas Group, which have been allowed to operate under a one-year permit. Other mining operations involve steel and oil in Sapanjang block, 14 marble quarries at the border between West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara provinces.



South Sulawesi governor, Syahrul Yasin Limpo cautioned the regents to be careful when issuing mining permits, especially to companies operating inside protected forests.



Although mining exploration permits are issued by the regents, “the provincial government must still oversee the process,” Syahrul said during the exposé which was attended by 11 regents, a Malaysian national mining consultant, Datuk Aziz Chemir, and an Australian geologist, Edward Brennan. The South Sulawesi provincial government is currently forming a team to discuss these issues.

IRMAWATI