Minister of Justice and Human Rights Affairs Amir Syamsuddin has been entrusted by the government to settle a dispute between the Finance Ministry and the West Nusa Tenggara provincial administration, said Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik on Wednesday.
The dispute concerns mining company PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) and centers on seven percent of that company’s stakes.
“The government has entrusted the justice and human rights affairs minister to settle the conflict and decide on who will purchase the stakes. We will accept what is decided,” Jero said while visiting an expo of locally supported products in the mining sector.
He admitted to receiving an official letter from the House of Representatives recommending that the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government purchase the remaining seven percent of NNT’s divested stakes.
Separately, Azwir Dainy Tara and Ichlas El Qudsi, two lawmakers from the Golkar Party and National Mandate Party (PAN) respectively, said the House would form a working meeting to carry out an investigation if the central government declined to give the stakes to the province.
“This is consistent with the House’s recommendation that the provincial government is the right side to purchase the stakes to help it accelerate its own economic development and improve the social welfare of the people in the province,” said Azwir, also member of the House’s Commission VII on energy, natural and mineral sources, research and technology and the environment.
Ichlas, a member of the House Commission XI on finances, national development planning, banking and non-bank financial institutions, said that the two commissions had agreed to make the recommendation because the province had to become the master of its rich resources.
“The province’s participation in the divested stakes will give it the right to receive dividends and royalties that can be utilized to accelerate its economic development, but the province also has an obligation to help secure the company’s operation,” he said.
The House has recommended that the province purchase the stakes after the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) found improprieties in US$246.8 million of sales and in the purchase agreement between the state investment agency, which was representing the Finance Ministry, and the NNT, since funds for the deal were taken from the state budget without political approval from the House.
Fate of mining company stakes in Amir’s
hands
By Ridwan Max Sijabat
Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Affairs Amir Syamsuddin has been entrusted by the government to
settle a dispute between the Finance Ministry and the West Nusa
Tenggara provincial administration, said Minister of Energy and
Mineral Resources Jero Wacik on Wednesday.
The dispute
concerns mining company PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) and centers on
seven percent of that company’s stakes.
“The government
has entrusted the justice and human rights affairs minister to settle
the conflict and decide on who will purchase the stakes. We will
accept what is decided,” Jero said while visiting an expo of
locally supported products in the mining sector.
He admitted to
receiving an official letter from the House of Representatives
recommending that the West Nusa Tenggara provincial government
purchase the remaining seven percent of NNT’s divested stakes.
Separately, Azwir
Dainy Tara and Ichlas El Qudsi, two lawmakers from the Golkar Party
and National Mandate Party (PAN) respectively, said the House would
form a working meeting to carry out an investigation if the central
government declined to give the stakes to the province.
“This is
consistent with the House’s recommendation that the provincial
government is the right side to purchase the stakes to help it
accelerate its own economic development and improve the social
welfare of the people in the province,” said Azwir, also member of
the House’s Commission VII on energy, natural and mineral sources,
research and technology and the environment.
Ichlas, a member of
the House Commission XI on finances, national development planning,
banking and non-bank financial institutions, said that the two
commissions had agreed to make the recommendation because the
province had to become the master of its rich resources.
“The province’s
participation in the divested stakes will give it the right to
receive dividends and royalties that can be utilized to accelerate
its economic development, but the province also has an obligation to
help secure the company’s operation,” he said.
The House has
recommended that the province purchase the stakes after the Supreme
Audit Agency (BPK) found improprieties in US$246.8
million of sales and in the purchase agreement between the
state investment agency, which was representing the Finance Ministry,
and the NNT, since funds for the deal were taken from the state
budget without political approval from the House.
