Government Closes Mineral Export Faucet Joining Tin, Bahlil: State Must Control

Photo Of Maria/VOI

JAKARTA - Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia revealed that there are participating minerals in the commodities mined by PT Timah Tbk which have not been well utilized so far.

Bahlil said that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources had received a mandate and direction from President Prabowo Subianto to utilize the accompanying mineral and make it a strategic mineral so that it must be controlled and managed by the state.

"Some of them contain other minerals, such as rare earth metals. We from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources at the direction of the President, this rare earth metal is one of the strategic commodities that must be controlled by the state," Bahlil told the media crew, quoted on Saturday, September 27.

According to him, for this reason Bahlil emphasized that the government has closed the taps for exporting follow-up minerals such as zircons, impetus and monasit. Thus, these minerals will be used for downstreaming in the country.

"Because I have ordered it, I have decided that all derivatives of the Timah process cannot be exported, are protected and placed in a good place, because it will be controlled by the state," explained Bahlil.

He continued, currently the Mineral Industry Agency which was just formed by President Prabowo will take a role in reviewing the added value of each mineral attached to the tin resources body. Later these results will be mapped downstream potential products.

"Therefore, the Mineral Industry Agency as a newly formed government institution will be tasked with conducting assessments of added value," he added.

Previously, PT Timah Tbk (TINS) claimed to have obtained support from President Prabowo Subianto to develop rare earth metals (LTJ) or rare earth ELEmets (REE) which are followed-up minerals in tin.

Director of Business Development of PT Timah Suhendra Yusuf Ratuprawiranegara said that he and the TINS board of directors received an invitation to attend a limited meeting (ratas) with Prabowo at his home in Hambalang, last Tuesday, August 19.

"Alhamdulillah, last Tuesday I accompanied the President Director, called the President in Hambalang after meeting with several ministers, especially in relation to discussing energy and mining. One of the things discussed is how in the future Indonesia will focus on processing REE," he said.

Suhendra said, PT Timah was directed to develop the monast contained in tin. This military will be useful for nuclear power plants (PLTN).

"And that's the source in lead. Monasit. So, the basis of REE, right, is monasit," he continued.

To develop LTJ, Suhendra ensured that PT Timah opened up opportunities for cooperation both with the private sector and qualified experts in its fields, including in terms of technology.