The Indonesian government and Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) have reportedly agreed on the content of a renegotiation package after an 8-month dispute over the mineral ore export ban. NNT, subsidiary of the USA-based Newmont Mining Corporation, will be allowed to resume copper concentrate exports up to 200,000 tons (with a value of about USD $400 million) until the end of 2014. Last week, NNT already announced it would not seek international arbitration over this matter.

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On 31 August 2014, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic topics such Indonesia’s fuel subsidies, an August inflation forecast, the conflict between the government and Nusa Tenggara Newmont, a new geothermal energy bill, infrastructure development, and more.

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Contrary to Newmont Nusa Tenggara (which has been in a heated dispute with the Indonesian government), Freeport Indonesia obtained a permit to resume copper concentrate exports from Indonesia after these had ceased since January 2014 when the government implemented the ban on exports of unprocessed minerals. Freeport Indonesia Chief Executive Rozik Sutjipto announced that the memorandum of understanding between both sides has been signed. The miner is the Indonesian unit of US based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold.

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Indonesia's Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Jero Wacik opened the possibility for Newmont Nusa Tenggara, subsidiary of US-based gold miner Newmont Mining Corporation, to resume exports of ore concentrates, provided that Newmont shows its commitment to build a smelter in Indonesia as in accordance with the new and controversial 2009 Mining Law. One of the targets of this new law is to boost Indonesia’s downstream mining industry by prohibiting export of unprocessed minerals.

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On 8 June 2014, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic topics such as an analysis of the April 2014 trade balance and May 2014 inflation, the 2009 Mining Law, energy subsidies, palm oil export, foreign exchange reserves, Link Net’s IPO, and more.

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R. Sukhyar, Director General for Coal and Mineral Resources at the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said that Freeport Indonesia and Newmont Nusa Tenggara, two of the largest copper miners in Indonesia, have shown their commitment to build refining facilities (in line with the 2009 Mining Law) by agreeing to transfer a total of USD $140 million to the government as a deposit guarantee. Freeport will transfer USD $115 million, whereas Newmont will transfer the remaining USD $25 million.

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PT Indosmelt, an Indonesian smelting company, is planning to conduct an initial public offering (IPO) on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) somewhere in 2015. Through this corporate action the company aims to raise USD $450 to $500 million in new funds by selling 49 percent of its enlarged capital to the public. President Director of Indosmelt Natsyir Mansyur said that the company is currently in talks with Kresna Graha Sekurindo to act as lead underwriter. The funds will be used to build a gold refinery.

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Freeport Indonesia stated that the company's production of copper concentrate plunged since the Indonesian government implemented the ban on exports of unprocessed minerals on 12 January 2014. Currently, Freeport only produces to supply Smelting Gresik, Indonesia's first copper smelter and refinery. As such, Freeport only operates at 45 percent of production capacity regarding copper concentrate. According to Freeport Indonesia's spokeswoman Daisy Primayanti, production of copper concentrate fell to 3,150 tons per day.

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On Sunday (12/01), one of the most important new laws in the recent history of Indonesia came in force. Mining Law Nr.4/2009, which prohibits the export of unprocessed minerals from Southeast Asia's largest economy, was implemented. However, it was not implemented in its original form. The president of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, signed a last-minute regulation which softens the impact of the new law by allowing mining companies to continue exports of copper, manganese, zinc, lead and iron ore concentrate until 2017.

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