REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) is appreciating the government' decision to extent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding mineral concentrate export for six months after the expiration of the current license on January 25.

"PT Freeport Indonesia appreciates what was decided by the government so PTFI can still continue operating," President Director of PTFI Maroef Syamsoeddin said here on Sunday (25/1).

He said that PTFI will continue to provide benefit and added value to the state of Indonesia and Papuan people in particular.

"The six months' extension is a form of demands, so we will use it with serious manners especially the coordination with the government related to the development contribution from PTFI for Papuan," he said

Syamsoeddin explains PTFI is not only focus on the financial gain but also on the efforts for community empowerment.

"Freeport engaged 31,694 employees, consisting of 12,333 direct employees and 19,361 contract workers,"he said.

PTFI noted as much as 8,045 direct employees are native.

In the same occasion, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Sudirman Said explained that the extension of the renegotiation contract was initiated to give some work time for PTFI to show the company's contribution, particularly for development in Papua.

"Our focus right now is how to use the presence of Freeport can induce the development of Papua, including the downstream industry," he said.

The increasing downstream industry would be achieved by building cement and smelter industry.

Freeport has set aside US$2.3 billion to build a new smelter in Gresik and US$15 billion for investment to expand underground mining and build infrastructure in its mining concession in Papua.

Freeport's operational contract signed in 1991 should be ended in 2021, but PTFI claimed to extend operation until 2021 for investment's return, the Freeport asked for extensions until 2041.

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