JAKARTA - Special Staff to the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) for the Acceleration of Mineral and Coal Governance, Irwandy Arif, revealed the fate of the copper export activity by PT Freeport Indonesian (PTFI) ahead of the export ban in June 2023.
Irwandy said that currently his party has approved the Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) proposed by PTFI but at the same time the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources has not approved the export of a copper concentrate.
"There has been no decision (to export a copper concentrate). If the RKAB has been approved but the export license is only until June. So the export license itself does not mean it is still in process," said Irwandy, who was met at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Building, Friday, March 3.
Irwandy explained that later the decision would be considered by looking at the progress of the smelter construction.
Regarding the government's potential to allow concentrat exports, Irwandy reiterated that until now there has been no official decision from the government.
"We don't know yet, there has been no decision," said Irwandy briefly.
He also refers to Law Number 3 of 2020 which regulates that minerals must be processed domestically so that all companies must comply with statutory regulations.
"The Minerba Law is clear that all can no longer be exported, it must be processed domestically. June 2023. Everything," concluded Irwandy.
Previously, Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said that he would soon announce a policy to ban raw copper exports, following a similar policy that has been in effect for nickel followed by bauxite as of June.
The Head of State revealed that the decision to stop raw copper exports was based on the progress of smelter development in Gresik, East Java and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) which had reached more than 50 percent.
"I checked yesterday, Freeport and the smelter in NTB were already more than 50 percent finished. Freeport is 51 percent finished. So, we dare to stop," he said.
Jokowi added that Indonesia has now become the majority shareholder of PT Freeport Indonesia.
"To remember, Freeport is our majority. So don't imagine, don't imagine anymore Freeport still belongs to America, we already have the majority of it," he added.
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