Empower Cooperatives To Control Collectors, Here's How PT Timah Against Illegal Mining Practices

Illustration: Photo: Doc. ANTARA

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Timah Tbk Restu Widiyantoro revealed a number of steps by the company to curb illegal mines in the PT Timah mining allowance (IUP) area.

At the leadership and members of Commission VI of the DPR RI, Restu admitted, PT Timah began to do various ways to curb illegal miners by forming a task force (task force).

Restu said, so far PT Timah has been tasked with carrying out mining activities with a legal process. However, he considered, this 473,310 hectares IUP holding company often lost to illegal miners.

For this reason, this MIND ID mining holding member seeks to legalize illegal mining by empowering cooperatives. So far, there are 30 cooperatives that have curbed this illegal mining activity.

"Alhamdulillah, now we have started 30 cooperatives of miners, employee cooperatives, and fishermen cooperatives to start this activity. Furthermore, hopefully, there can be more, 100, 200, or 300 cooperatives needed," he said in a Hearing Meeting (RDP) with Commission VI DPR RI, Monday, September 22.

Not only that, PT Timah is also active in attracting a number of mining partners to be able to carry out legal mining activities in the PT Timah IUP area.

"There is only one provision, anyone who legally mines, because it is obtained from the IUP of PT Timah Tbk, so the lead must enter PT Timah Tbk," explained Restu.

Terakhir, PT Timah juga memberdayakan sejumlah pengepul yang selama ini bertindak sebagai kolektor hasil tamban ilegal.

"Bagi kolektor yang tidak mau atau tidak mampu atau karena selama ini puluhan tahun lebih paham cara-cara ilegal karena dapat uang banyak, tidak harus bayar pajak, dan sebagainya, maka kami akan keluarkan dari WIUP PT Timah Tbk," tandas Restu.

Finally, PT Timah also empowers a number of collectors who have been acting as collectors of illegal browser products.

"For collectors who do not want to or cannot afford it or because so far they have understood illegal methods because they get a lot of money, do not have to pay taxes, and so on, we will issue it from the WIUP of PT Timah Tbk," said Restu.