Defense Ministry evaluates explosives companies, permits

The Defense Ministry is evaluating several permits on companies producing explosives to ensure these companies are actually producing the explosives and not importing them.

Out of the nine companies with permits, only three of them were found to produce, Pos M. Hutabarat, the ministry's defense potential director general, said Tuesday in Jakarta.

"The current need is 450,000 tons per year," he said. However, only 60,000 tons are produced inside the country.

Ministry's Director for Technology and Chemicals Brig Gen Agus Suyarso said that most of the explosives were imported from Australia and China.