Kadin Asks The Minister Of Energy And Mineral Resources To Immediately Issue A Nickel Exploration Assignment Permit, Here's The Reason

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry's Standing Committee for Minerba, Arya Rizqi Darsono urged the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) to immediately issue regulations related to nickel exploration permits so that business actors can immediately explore and increase Indonesia's nickel reserves.

"We from Kadin asked the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources to immediately release the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources regarding the permit for exploration assignments because so that we can find new reserves or how the resources can turn into reserves," Rizqi said in the Mining Zone quoted on Tuesday, September 19.

Arya added that his party had recently been invited by the Director General (Dirjen) of Mineral and Coal (Minerba) to conduct a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) in formulating the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources regarding the mining area assignment permit.

"And we have sent a letter to the ESDM what is the point needed by the business world regarding the assignment permit because it is very important," said Rizqi.

The Association of Indonesian Mining Experts (Perhapi) advised the government to reactivate the auction of nickel exploration areas. This aims to immediately find new nickel reserves in Indonesia.

Perhapi Chairman Rizal Kasli said that until now his party had not yet discussed the clarity and progress of this activity because it was still being processed by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

"One other thing I want to compare is that the government must reactivate the auction of exploration areas for nickel," said Rizal, quoted on Friday, August 11.

According to him, if this activity is reactivated, it can increase the age of the domestic processing or smelter industry.

The reason is, nickel ore reserves with high levels are estimated to last only for the next few years.

Based on data from the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Indonesia's total nickel resources were recorded at 17.3 billion tons while the reserve amount reached 5.08 billion tons.

The Geological Agency also estimates that nickel ore reserves of high levels of 1.5 percent and above or up are only sufficient for the next 9 years with the assumption that domestic absorption reaches 387.2 million tons per year.