Indonesia's U-turn on mineral ore policy in danger of backfiring
Low commodity prices, lack of infrastructure, investors and loss of revenue are putting govt in a hole
Jakarta
WHEN Ignatius Jonan, Indonesia's energy and mineral resources minister defended his government's decision to relax the country's insistence on processing its own mineral ore he appeared to be answering not only why it was attempting a "temporary" U-turn on a resources policy it inherited from the last government, but also why it may have to do it again before long.
"We shouldn't have a market that is controlled by smelter capture," Mr Jonan said to foreign journalists in Jakarta last week.
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