REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chief Economic Minister Chairul Tanjung said it is not possible for the government to follow refusal of mining companies to build smelters as required by the government.

"It might not be possible for the government to be pressured," Chairul Tanjung said after attending the inauguration of the new religious affairs minister at the Presidential Palace here on Monday.

The chief economic minister added that the government philosophy is that it wanted investments to flow but not in violation of the law.

He explained that the existing regulations required mining companies to build smelters that can increase the added values of export products taken from the country.

For this, he added that the government called on a number of multinational mining firms operating in Indonesia to complete the cooperation agenda.

"We want investments to continue to increase, but we do not want to violate the law," the minister asserted.

The minister expressed confidence that Indonesia's exports in the next few months will increase if the issue of mineral and coal exports is settled well.

Acting chief of the Finance Ministry's Fiscal Policy Agency Andin Hadiyanto had previously said export duty adjustment for mineral product exports of mining firms will be carried out based on the progress of their smelters' development.

"There will be export duty adjustment for firms developing smelters based on the progress of their smelters' development. It will be seen from the aspect of smelters' development costs," he said.

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