Indonesia wants to expand export tax on metal ores

JAKARTA.  May 12. KAZINFORM  Indonesian Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo has said that the government wants to expand the scope of the planned export tax on mineral ore commodities, paper said here on Saturday. "Initially, the scope is for 14 mineral ore commodities but we want to expand it," Agus told reporters on Friday.

He, however, refused to reveal the new mineral ore commodities that would be taxed and cited that the issue was confidential and could only be disclosed after the regulation was issued.

According to Xinhua, the scope expansion idea was also the main reason for the government to delay the issuance of the mineral ore export tax regulation, which was originally planned to be issued this week, he was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying.

"The regulation will be issued next week," he said.

The 14 mineral commodities, which were initially planned to be taxed under the regulation, are bauxite, chromium, copper, gold, iron ore, iron sand, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, silver and tin.