Govt Urged To Take Over Analum Aluminium Firm

Jakarta, Feb 2 (ANTARA) - A legislator here called on the government on Wednesday to take over the management of aluminum firm PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (Inalum), currently being run by the Japanese consortium NAA. Legislator Nurdin Tampubolon, who represents North Sumatra constituency in the House of Representatives (DPR), told members of the press that the cooperation agreement between the Indonesian government and NAA is scheduled to end in June 2013. He warned that Japan was expected to lobby the government intensively in the coming one-and-a-half years in an effort to continue its control of Inalum. Nurdin added that the Japanese government, through its private firms, would do its best to extend the contract. For Japan had benefited from the cooperation for over 30 years, while its need for aluminum to support its automotive products was increasing, according to Nurdin. However, "it would be a big mistake by government officials if itturned out that Japan succeeded in lobbying the government to extend theagreement," he said. Indonesia owns a 41.13 percent stake in Inalum, while the remaining 58.87 percent belong to Nippon Asahan Aluminum (NAA). Of these,50 percent of NAA shares are owned by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), which represents the Japanese government, and the remaining 50 percent belongs to 12 other Japanese firms. The project began operating on January 6, 1976 based on an agreement signed on July 7, 1975. It is set to expire in 2013.