About 1,500 Timah workers held a rally in front of the Bangka Belitung legislative council on Wednesday to protest against illegal mining, Agung Nugroho, corporate secretary at the Indonesian tin producer told Bloomberg.
Timah’s production has fallen considerably recently as small-scale miners, often working within its mining leases, have increased their sales to independent smelters. However the situation may change after 1 July, when a new regulation of the quality of exported tin is due to come into effect. Trade sources report that the state company has informed its customers that from that date it will only supply 99.9% tin with a maximum 100 ppm lead, in line with the new regulation. It is believed that a significant minority of independent smelters will be unable to meet this standard if it is enforced strictly.
