TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Gerindra Party Central Board (DPP) member Andre Rosiade responded to the statement conveyed by a professor of the Economy and Business Faculty at the University of Indonesia Rhenald Khasali who deemed Freeport could take away its technology should the contract does not extend in 2021. According to Andre, that is not a problem for Indonesia.

“If we have the mine and money, what technology we cannot buy? We can invite other countries who have similar technology to help us, but the management under our control,” Andre told Tempo, Tuesday, December 25.

Thus, he believed, the fund disbursed by the country would not be as much as that to pay the share divestment of PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI). Earlier, PT Indonesia Asahan Alumunium or Inalum acquired 51.2 percent of the company’s shares that worth US$3.85 billion or Rp55.8 trillion (in the exchange rate of Rp14,500 per US dollar).

“Not only Freeport that has such technology, but we can also adopt technologies of other countries,” Andre added. Moreover, he continued, the US has yet paid a large amount of several taxes and fines which could be used for investment. “So, we can acquire [the share] 100 percent. That’s logic.”

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) previously reported its findings that PT Freeport Indonesia allegedly damaged the ecosystem due to its mining waste in Papua which caused the loss of Rp185 trillion.

Andre further opined that if the government later decides to cut off the contract of Freeport, the country should have spent less money than before, as long as they wait for 2019 or two years prior to the contract ends.

CAESAR AKBAR