Jakarta, CNN Indonesia – The relaxation of mineral exports which will begin in 2017 has been cynically responded by various nongovernmental organizations. Because the policy is considered laden with corporate interests.

Indonesia’s Advocacy Manager and Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Network Aryanto Nugroho called PT Freeport Indonesia as the company that benefited the most from this regulation. According to him, the relaxation of exports could make the US mining companies do not need to complete the construction of smelter facilities before the Contract of Work (KK) is completed.

For information, the government plans to provide export relaxation periods of three to five years from 2017. Thus, there is a possibility that export relaxation will last until 2021, or the period where the Freeport CoW has ended.

“Obviously this benefits Freeport because they have a reason to continue exporting. Indeed, various efforts are underway to anticipate the extension of the CoW, “said Aryanto, Tuesday (11/10)

He himself claimed to have no hard evidence if the relaxation of mineral exports led to the extension of the Freeport CoW. However, he saw a red thread between the wishes of Freeport and the regulation regarding mineral exports that had been issued by the previous government.

Aryanto gave an example of the issuance of Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM Ministerial Regulation) No. 1 of 2014 which was published on January 11, 2014. He indicated that the regulation containing a halt to mineral exports starting from 2017 was issued to accommodate Freeport’s wishes. This is because the Freeport Export Approval Letter (SPE) was issued the day after.

Moreover, Freeport’s privileges are increasingly emphasized in Permen ESDM No. 11 of 2014, where companies may export concentrates by fulfilling a number of prerequisites.

Whereas before, the government firmly refused mineral exports for CoW starting in 2014, as stated in article 170 of Law Number 4 of 2009 concerning Minerals and Coal. He is concerned that the relaxation of mineral exports which is planned to be included in the revision of Government Regulation (PP) No. 1 of 2014 will also benefit Freeport, even though it clearly contradicts the Minerba Law.

“Because the relaxation period in ESDM Permen No. 1 of 2014 is only until January 2017, and it coincides with the expiration of the Freeport export permit. This regulation certainly has something to do with Freeport’s interests, “he explained. (gen)

In Media, Media Coverage | PWYP Indonesia | October 12nd, 2016