"After it is taken over from the Nippon Asahan Aluminium (NAA), Inalum can become a state-owned firm or join a state company which already existed," Director General of International Industry Cooperation of the Ministry of Industry Agus Tjahajana said here on Friday.
The director general said Inalum will have a positive value if it becomes an independent state-owned firm. "If it becomes an independent company, it could develop and focus its business in the aluminum ingot production. It would be different if it becomes a subsidiary of a firm where it should adjust its business (holding firm)," he added.
He said that Inalum could form synergy in the upstream sector if it joins other firms such as PT Aneka Tambang (ANTAM), and could develop a bauxite smelter which processed alumina.
"Alumina is a raw material for upstream aluminum industry to produce aluminum ingots. Indonesia is the biggest bauxite producer in the world but it has as yet a bauxite smelter to process the raw material into alumina," he said.
Agus said that Indonesia therefore exported its bauxite to various countries while Inalum was still importing alumina from Australia.
"With Aneka Tambang producing alumina, Inalum would find it easy to obtain raw material," he added.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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