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Indonesia intends to manage nickel ore supply to support prices

Indonesia intends to handle nickel ore supply and demand to support prices, its mining minister said on Friday, amid reports of hold-ups in the quota approval procedure requiring some smelters to import ores from the Philippines.

Indonesia, a significant producer of nickel ore, has from this year changed the credibility of its mining quota file, known as RKAB, to three years from one year, although it will figure out mining volumes for each year.

The state must exist to preserve supply and demand. If the supply is sufficient while need is low, the price will drop, mining minister Bahlil Lahadalia informed reporters on Friday.

Bahlil stated costs and need from smelters would be used as criteria to determine the marketplace balance. He decreased to provide a rate target, however stated the government's monthly mineral reference rate could be used as a guide.

We will fix the recommendation rate so that it will be proportionate between the commercial products and basic materials, so that optimum profits are not just gotten by the market, however likewise by miners, he stated.

He also said the mining quota should not be focused among big players so business at smaller local miners can grow.

We hope the markets also procure ores from miners who do not have smelters, he said.

Bahlil's term as energy minister in President Joko Widodo's. federal government is because of end in two days, however he has actually been asked. to join the next federal government by inbound president Prabowo. Subianto, who will be sworn in on Sunday.

Bahlil did not discuss his position in the new cabinet,. but discussed he went over natural deposits management and. energy security with the president-elect.

(source: Reuters)