TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo or Bamsoet highlighted the economy of people living around the nickel mining areas in Sulawesi. He said Indonesia has the world's largest nickel but the people around the mines are categorized in extreme poverty.

“[We have] rich land, but the question is why people living and residing in South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Kalimantan, who have nickel and coal below their feet, still live in poverty,” said Bamsoet at Raffles Hotel, South Jakarta, on Monday, March 6.

He claimed to have met governors in Sulawesi and shot the questions. It turned out that extreme poverty in the region exists because foreign companies control 118,000 hectares of land containing billions of metric tons of nickel. Besides, foreign firms have controlled the land for the past 55 years.

This means Bamsoet concluded that Indonesia's abundant natural resources are only owned by one group. Consequently, the country’s wealth cannot prosper its people. Moreover, the wealth management results failed to become state revenue.

Therefore, he assessed that mining control by one group must be split such as into cooperatives and other entrepreneurs. He also suggested that there be a limit on mining control of 25,000 hectares per business group.

Other than nickel, Bamsoet discovered a similar case in the management of coal commodities in the archipelago. He thus concluded that there was something wrong with the country’s resources management. Natural wealth should be used as much as possible for the people as mandated in the constitution.

Central Sulawesi Governor Rusdy Mastura said extreme poverty can only be ended if there are sufficient funds. He claimed the extreme poverty rate in his region declined by 1 percent this year to 12 percent.

“If we have money, our programs [of extreme poverty alleviation] will run well,” said Rusdy when met in South Jakarta, on Monday, March 6. Regarding the land tenure by one group, Rusdy underlined that there needs to be a fair distribution of revenue with the local government.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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