"The regional government hopes that its cooperation and partnership with the company should not be destroyed with accusations and statements which further worsened the relations," West Sumbawa regional government spokesman Najamuddin Amy said on Monday.
Thousands of civil Servants, students and local people took to the streets on Monday demanding that seven percent of PT NNT should be offered to the local government as part of the last phase of the firm`s divestment process.
He said that the local people and the regional government had taken part in building the good investment climate so that it would become more conducive for the operation of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara.
"The people's rallies should not be seen as an act of terrors and anarchism that hampered investment," he said.
General Manager for Operations of NNT David Lilley earlier on Sunday expressed through a press statement his disappointment on the West Sumbawa district head who he accused of having a plan to urge civil servants so that they would block the Batu Hijau mining location to halt the operation of the firm.
"The district head?s task is to enforce the law, ensure public order and support the economic development, not to carry out blockade to halt the operations of NNT," David Lilley said. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
