"I even hope the coal exports are stopped."Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Government will issue a regulation that will limit coal exports in order to guarantee sustainable use of domestic coal.
"A draft of the regulation is being discussed with officials of responsible ministries," said Edy Prasodjo, the energy and mineral resource ministry`s coal director, here on Tuesday.
"There are several forms being put on the table. There will be categories of coal that could be exported and others that are not for export," he noted.
The regulation on coal exports is necessary given the fact that coal production has been increasing significantly.
In 2012, coal production is estimated to reach, or probably exceed, 330 million tons.
"So, next year the production could exceed 450 million tons or even reach 500 million tons," Edy stated.
"The consumption of coal in the domestic market was initially 30 percent, but now it is 25 percent, and it could become just 10 percent later," he added.
An energy analyst of ReforMiner Institute, Komaidi Notonegoro, supports the plan to control coal exports.
"I even hope the coal exports are stopped, so it could be fully used for domestic purposes," he said.
Coal production should be adjusted to the domestic consumption rate.
(Uu.F001/INE/KR-BSR/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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