Foreign Investor To Develop Bauxite Reserves In Bangka Belitung

Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung, March 14 (Antara) - A foreign investor from Singapore wants to develop bauxite reserves in the province of Bangka Belitung, a regional official said. "Recently the investor who has metal mine in China visited Bangka Belitung and said he wanted to develop the bauxite reserves in this province," Head of the regional office of the Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) Zakaria Umarhardi said here on Thursday. The investor is waiting for a signal from Governor Eko Maulana Ali, Zakaria said , adding, the investor would come to sign an initial agreement if the governor gave his approval. "Currently we are awaiting an approval from the governor. The investor would come any time the governor is ready," he said. The initial agreement will concern a number of plans including plan to build a smelter and an aluminum factory Bangka Barat. The investor is also plan to build a power plant to guarantee power supply for its own facilities, Zakaria said. Bangka Belitung is known more for tin mines , but it also has potential bauxite reserves, he said. Based on data at the BKPMD, Bangka Belitung has bauxite reserves of 13.5 million tons . The strength of the reserves, however, still needs further studies.