KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. Indonesia has issued mining production quotas of 152.62 million metric tons of nickel ore and 44,481.63 tons of tin ore so far this year, a senior mining ministry official told parliament on Tuesday.

In total, the government has issued approvals for 191 miners, in the nickel, tin, and copper sectors, among others, ministry director general Bambang Suswantono said, adding that more than 500 production proposals were still being processed.

Production quotas for 99.24 million tons of copper ore and 15.88 million tons of bauxite have also been handed out, he added.

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Bambang did not specify for what period of time the quotas were granted.

Starting this year, Indonesia extended the validity of its mining quotas, known locally as RKAB, to three years from one year previously.

Resource-rich Indonesia requires all miners to secure an RKAB before they can start production activities, but they have faced delays this year amid changes in the approval process.

The backlog has disrupted exports in the first two months of 2024 and boosted prices of nickel and tin in global markets.

Editor: Herlina Kartika Dewi