Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian Deputy Minister of Environment and Forestry Alue Dohong said on October 2 that the government will form a task force to accelerate the eradication of mercury use in Indonesia.
He said he is also working with the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, the National Police, and the Attorney General's Office to eliminate mercury use.
Strengthening the commitment comprises supervision, research development and governance, licensed gold mining, especially in small-scale mines, and international cooperation, he said.
Indonesia in 2017 ratified the Minamata Convention which concerns the use of mercury that has a negative impact on health and the environment.
In the mining sector, Dohong said that his side has opened 10 locations for processing gold without the use of mercury in different regions in the country./.
