BAI Boss Ensures Alumina Smelters Luxury Local Workers

MEMPAWAH - President Director of PT Borneo Alumina Indonesia (PT BAI) Leonard Manurung revealed that the operation of the Smelter Grade Alumina Refinery (SGAR) will absorb labor from the Mempawah area and its surroundings.

He estimates that the total workforce that will be absorbed will amount to more than 1,100 workers.

"Of course we have to take it from the local community because we have to prioritize community development where later out of the total workforce of approximately 1,100, it is all Indonesians," he said when met in Mempawah, quoted Wednesday, September 25.

PT BAI, he said, would give priority to villages affected by the presence of this bauxite smelter.

"Well, from there we just entered the area under the second coverage, which is around Mempawah Regency," continued Leo.

After taking workers from Mempawah Regency, then his party will recruit prospective employees from West Kalimantan Province who are in accordance with the qualifications and needs of the smelter.

Leo further said that since the construction of the phase 1 smelter, his party has employed 3,000 workers.

"For our workforce, there are around 3,000 people but that is a workforce that is in the construction process, while the workforce from PT BAI is gradually starting from 300 people," he explained.

He detailed that the workers in this smelter included workers from PT BAI and under the PMI Contract Extension Information System in Taiwan (SIPKON).

Meanwhile, PT BAI's operational employees absorb around 880 workers, including other power transfer personnel.

Operators to security and approximately 200 people will be added in the future so that the total number of workers will be around 1,100 people

"880 people plus other power transfer personnel in the form of operators, security and others, approximately 200 people, so the total is approximately 1,100 people," said Leo.

For information, PT BAI is a subsidiary of the State-Owned Enterprise (BUMN) PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminum and PT Aneka Tambang Tbk.

The smelter is expected to start operating in the first quarter of 2025, with a full production target in the second quarter of the same year.

The project cost an investment of at least US$941 million with a production capacity of 1 million tons per year.