Norman Harsono, Jakarta – The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry announced on Wednesday evening that the government tentatively had 938 points of disagreement with the House of Representatives' proposed revision of the 2009 Coal and Mineral Mining Law.
Ministry secretary-general Ego Syahrial said the points, dubbed the problem inventory list (DIM), amounted to over half the original law, the revision of which was initiated in April last year by House Commission VII overseeing energy and mineral affairs.
Ego told the commission at a working meeting in Jakarta that out of five ministries scrutinizing the proposed revision, only the Industry Ministry objected to the energy ministry's version of the problem inventory list.
Speaking on behalf of the Industry Ministry, Ego said that it had reservations "related to the mining business process," and to "erasing a clause on purification".
The latter point refers to article 143 of the draft revision, which stipulates that regional administrations are responsible for providing training on mineral purification techniques at small scale mines.
Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry, Home Ministry and Law and Human Rights Ministry have all approved the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's version of the DIM.
Going forward, the energy ministry sent on Monday a request to the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister to help facilitate a meeting between the ministry and the Industry Ministry, said Ego.
"It's like this is the starting point. We still have a long way to go," he told reporters after the meeting.