PREMIUM The increasing demand for Kolbano colored stones has made residents living near Kolbano Beach in Timor Tengah Selatan, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), change from farming to collecting stones.

Local residents collect the stones along the 30 kilometer coastline for companies operating under mining permits (IUP).

“If we stick to farming, we have to wait until the rainy season to grow our...