Going For Gold IF the frequent comings and goings of Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold’s big boss, James R. Moffett, is any indication, negotiations between the Phoenix, Arizona-based mining giant and the Indonesian government over the contract of work extension continue to be tough going. The stakes are high for both parties. For Freeport, it’s the 2.27 billion tons in reserves it wants to continue mining in the central highlands of Papua. For Indonesia, it’s an additional US$18 billion in new investment and a bigger share of the revenues. But is it just dollars and cents, or is politics a major hang-up as well? Politics: National Amnesty Bill FOUR political party factions in the House of Representatives are attempting to deviate a bill on tax amnesty to became a more comprehensive national amnesty bill. It is believed that the hijackers are busy altering the substance of the bill, which would be susceptible to abuse. Who are the politicians involved and what is their ultimate goal? Outreach: Conserving Water MUCH of Indonesia has been impacted by the long dry season. It has caused forest fi res and burning peatlands in Sumatra and Kalimantan, causing destructive haze. Even worse, it has caused rice fi elds and plantations to dry up and crack. This year, close to 223,000 hectares of rice fi elds will fail to produce harvests. Yet, some people refuse to be beaten. Residents of Bantaeng district in South Sulawesi, supported by the local government, built small reservoirs and rainwater catchment areas. Similar activities are also going on in Enrekang and Wajo districts. What are the challenges they face and how are they solving this perennial water shortage problem? Tempo English reports.

Keywords :
Gold Mine , Freeport Indonesia , Papua , ,