JAKARTA. Gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia has appointed former State Intelligence Agency (BIN) deputy chief Maroef Sjamsuddin as its new president director to replace Rozik B. Soetjipto, who has reached retirement age.

Freeport spokesperson Daisy Primayanti said on Wednesday that Maroef, also a retired rear marshal, joined Freeport after retiring from the Air Force.

Maroef was the deputy chief of BIN from 2011 through 2014 and earned a Master’s in business administration at the Jakarta Institute of Management Studies.

Asked about his new appointment, Maroef said that all stakeholders were expected to support the mining company and its long-term investment in Papua.

“This is the most interesting moment for Freeport to develop a new mine in Papua by giving more benefits to its employees, local people, the Indonesian government and all stakeholders over the coming decades,” Antara news agency quoted him as saying.

Maroef’s appointed comes at a time when Freeport is seeking an extension on its working contract in the country’s easternmost province.

Freeport, a subsidiary of US-based Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold, Inc., began operations in Papua in 1967 and is seeking a 20-year extension on its working contract from 2021 to 2041.(rms)

Editor: Yudho Winarto