ITRI Tin Forum in Indonesia discusses progress in tin production
The Indonesia Tin Forum hosted by ITRI in Pankalpinang, Bangka on the 11th December 2013 attracted more than a hundred local and international delegates to hear about and discuss issues currently facing the Indonesian tin sector.
These include changing export regulations, and international market concern over environmental and social sustainability. Attendees included industry, authorities and civil society in this unique event which provided an opportunity for a wide range of interests to be considered and discussed.
Peter Kettle, Manager of Market Studies at ITRI, set the scene by explaining the continuing importance of Indonesian tin production to the international market, as well as the current situation with the ICDX exchange, and this was supplemented by a presentation by Budi Prastowo, Assistant Head of the Bangka Belitung Provincial Bureau of Statistics (BPS) providing information on the trends in the economic contributions of a variety of sectors in the Province, including tin mining and smelting.
From the downstream end of the tin supply chain, Carolyn Duran, Materials EHS Manager of Intel Inc highlighted the growing requirements for transparency in supply chains of end product manufacturers and why tin users intend to drive improvements in the materials production sectors to satisfy increasing expectations from investors, consumers and NGO’s alike.
Participants were in general agreement that tin is an important resource that should be exploited for the maximum benefit of the people of Bangka Belitung and Indonesia, but that the current situation of limited transparency of source and control on production must be addressed.
Peter Kettle noted that “While the introduction of the export regulation and the introduction of the exchange has been controversial, the new system being implemented under the Ministry of Trade will help the value of the tin produced to remain in Indonesia, and if checks are properly enforced, to increase consumer confidence in sustainability of the Indonesian tin sector providing it with a positive future.”