Riau granite miners seek Jakarta's help

The Straits Times, March 24, 2007

DETENTION OF BARGES
Riau granite miners seek Jakarta's help
Navy's move affecting business and charges of sand smuggling unfounded, they say

CRACKDOWN: Granite being unloaded from a barge. At least 20 Riau barges carrying granite to Singapore have been detained since last month.


JAKARTA - SOME granite mining companies are seeking help from the Indonesian government following the recent detention of Singapore-bound granite shipments.

Seventeen Riau-based companies say their businesses have been affected by the move.

At least 20 barges carrying granite from the Riau islands to Singapore have been detained following the banning of sand exports to the Republic early last month.

The barges were detained by the Indonesian navy for allegedly smuggling sand concealed under the granite.

According to the navy, the barges were also guilty of violating maritime regulations, such as failing to produce vessel and crew documents.

Mr Muchamad Syafei, a member of the Riau Granite Miners Association (APGR), said on Thursday in Jakarta that the allegations that the barges were carrying sand were clearly unfounded.

'It wasn't sand. It was the dust and particles from the crushed granite,' he told The Jakarta Post.

'There is a clear difference between sand and granite dust. Even the granite export surveyor said so before the barges set out from port.'

The Indonesian government banned the export of sand to Singapore early last month, citing environmental concerns.

It has since stepped up checks on Singapore-bound barges.

The detention of the barges last month became a cause for concern as it raised questions over whether it signalled an unannounced or impending ban on granite exports as well.

The Trade Ministry's director-general for foreign trade Diah Maulida denied there was any such plan on Wednesday after a meeting with APGR.

'Granite may still be exported,' she was quoted as saying by The Jakarta Post.

Trade Minister Mari Pangestu also said last week that granite exports were still allowed - but were subject to checks.

The verification process is aimed at helping to curb illegal mining and smuggling.

Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda also assured his Singaporean counterpart George Yeo at a meeting in Germany on March 15 that the verification process would be transparent.

Mr Syafei said: 'With the detainment of these barges, our businesses have been badly affected. Each vessel can carry between 2,000 and 3,000 tonnes of granite, with two to three round trips to Singapore per day. You can imagine how hard it is for us.'

When asked about the possibility of suing the navy given the massive losses inflicted on the exporters as a result of the detention of the barges, he said that some of the association's members were considering taking legal action.

'The association itself would prefer amicable talks with all sides so that our opinions can be heard,' he said.

'We are also seeking help from the Bandung Institute of Technology to prove that the barges contained granite dust, rather than sand,' he added.

As a result of the detention of the barges, many granite miners have halted exports, causing the price of granite to increase from S$25 to S$70.

Aware of the grievances of the granite exporters, Ms Diah said she had ordered export surveyors at ports to report to her on every verification carried out by them.

THE JAKARTA POST/

ASIA NEWS NETWORK



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NOT SAND, JUST GRANITE DUST

'It wasn't sand. It was the dust and particles from the crushed granite. There is a clear difference between sand and granite dust. Even the granite export surveyor said so before the barges set out from port.'

MR MUCHAMAD SYAFEI, a member of the Riau Granite Miners Association, denying the detained barges were carrying sand.