2) Papuan Traders Demand Government Assistance
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http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/opinion/editorial-sunshine-needed-sweetheart-deals/
1) Editorial: Sunshine Needed on Sweetheart Deals
The government needs to explain clearly and honestly why it wants to allow miners to renew contracts more than two years before they expire. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said’s recent suggestion that contracts ought to be extended up to 10 years before their expiry makes little sense.
Such a move seems to only satisfy demands from Freeport-McMoRan, which has announced that it would proceed with its plan to invest a total of $17 billion to turn its Grasberg copper and gold mining complex into the world’s biggest underground mine after 2016, while also building a copper smelter in Gresik, East Java.
Freeport’s current deal is due to expire in 2021.
The government should not be under pressure to quickly extend Freeport’s contract just because it has announced to invest big and build a smelter.
While we should welcome foreign investment, especially as huge as Freeport’s, and we agree that every company needs certainty on its investment, it’s the government’s duty to review carefully and comprehensively whether the investment really benefits the country and its people as a whole — in this case because it’s in Papua, the native Papuans.
Contract extensions as big as Freeport’s have always been a controversial issue among the public. We are not demanding the contract not be extended; we simply want transparency.
Despite Freeport’s claims that it has contributed trillions of rupiah directly and indirectly — on top of the government’s disbursement of trillions in special autonomy funds over the years — the big question remains: Why are Papuans still among Indonesia’s poorest, despite these huge investments?
Where has the money gone?
Only honesty and transparency will quash suspicion surrounding Freeport’s renewed contract.
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2) Papuan Traders Demand Government Assistance
Jayapura, Jubi/Antara – Papuan female traders held a demonstration at the office of Papua governor on Tuesday afternoon (03/03/2015) to demand the government pay attention to their future.
The demonstration began with a “long march” from the market at Jln Percetakan Jayapura.
The protesters delivered speeches, unfurled banners and pamphlets that included the words “stop the habit of depriving indigenous Papuans”.
The demonstrators were received by deputy governor Klemen Tinal. They demanded the government pay attention to native Papuans, to protect local commodities and prohibit supermarkets and malls from selling Papuan commodities.
He further suggested the demonstrators should hold a rally at DPRP.
“Actually specific policy for Papuans are currently being worked on in the DPRP, including specific guarantees regions (Jamkrida) so that those who need capital no longer have to go to the bank,” Clement Tinal said. (*)
“Actually specific policy for Papuans are currently being worked on in the DPRP, including specific guarantees regions (Jamkrida) so that those who need capital no longer have to go to the bank,” Clement Tinal said. (*)
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