TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - PT Freeport Indonesia is said to have made its decision in finding a location to build its smelter. Freeport was reported to build its smelter in Gresik, East Java, as the company submitted an application for a principal license to the East Java Investment Agency recently.

"The principal license [application] had just received by the Integrated Licensing Services this week," said Lili Soleh Wartadipradja, Chief of the East Java Investment Agency on Monday, July 19, 2016.

Lili explained that Freeport submitted an application for a principal license to build a smelter in the Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate (JIIPE) area. The smelter will be built on a 100 hectares land and will cost about Rp 30 trillion.

Lili predicted that the construction of the smelter will begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 or at the beginning of 2017. Lili added that the company had utilized the Direct Construction Easy Investment (KLIK) program offered by the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM).

"Freeport uses the KLIK facility, so the process is quick. The principal license can be completed in just two weeks," Lili explained.

ARTIKA RACHMI FARMITA