Mineral Exports Must be Verified
Tuesday, 26 February, 2008 | 15:22 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government will compel exporters to verify all mineral products before shipping them abroad. If earlier the mineral products to be verified only fall under the C category. In the future A and B categories of minerals must also undergo the same process.

“If it has been ruled during inter-departmental meeting, the Trade Minister regulation will be issued,” said Director of Mineral Export and Industry at the Trade Department, Hartoko Agus Tjahjono yesterday (25/2). The meeting will discuss the verification obligation without waiting for the Mineral and Renewed Energy Bill to be passed. The meeting will be held today (26/2).

The statement is different from that of Foreign Trade Director General, Diah Maulida, who said earlier that there had not been any Trade Minister Regulation No.1/2007 revision on general provision in the export sector which contained the list of regulated, supervising and prohibited from being exported. “In fact the verification issue is not a new issue, but there hasn’t been any discussion about it,” she said.

According to Diah, the verification implementation is addressed to crude commodities. This is for acquiring added value from processed mineral product export. “The domestic processing industry must be ready,” he said.

State-Owned Enterprises Minister Sofyan Djalil said that the coal export policy will be discussed again by the Energy and Mineral Resources Department. The discussion is linked to coal supply for electricity generator power plants. “If the problem is from the primary energy policy, it cannot be handled by PT PLN (State Electricity Company),” he said yesterday.

According to Sofyan, the discussion will also about the amount of coal export. This is because in 2009, PLN will need 40 million tons of additional coal. The coal deficit will be completed by synergizing PLN with other mineral companies.

RR ARIYANI | WAHYUDIN FAHMI