Government Asked To Optimize Local Smelter Development Support

Jakarta, Jan 24 (Antara) - The government has been asked to optimize its support to the construction of smelters by local entrepreneurs, according to a legislator. "Government support for the construction of smelters by local entrepreneurs will improve the nation`s economy," House of Representatives` Commission-VII member Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi stated in a written statement on Friday. According to him, government support is in line with the enactment of Law No.4 of 2009 on mineral and coal mining in relation to a ban on the export of raw minerals. The politician from Golkar Party opined that currently there as so many mining sectors in the country that need to be developed optimally by local businessmen. He pointed out that the government has implemented "tax allowance" but it was intended only to a few commodities. Therefore, Bobby noted that the Golkar Party has proposed that the government give its support by providing incentive in the form of tax exemptions for a certain period of time. Besides, he stated that the government should also speed up domestic smelter supporting infrastructure development in order to open up access for value-added investment influx. Earlier, the Chairman of Indonesian Association of Copper Gold (ATEI), Natsir Mansour, explained that downstream mineral policy that would be implemented early 2014 was good enough but the mining entrepreneurs would take a long time to build smelters. "Copper-mining entrepreneurs support the program of downstream mineral policy but they will need at least four years to build smelters," Natsir pointed out. According to him, the policy to be taken should not only regard to political democracy but also economic democracy such as in mining business for example, that would support the miners. Natsir added that a number of parties have opined that the fate of the copper-mining entrepreneur was determined by the comment of experts and the decision of politicians. "But we do not agree about the comment of experts and the decision of politicians. Today the political democracy is something natural but the economic democracy should also be taken into account," he noted. Natsir asserted that constructing a smelter is not as easy as building a shop-house, and therefore the government should give its optimal support to smelter development in the country.