U.S. mining giant Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold. reported Tuesday that it has paid 1.6 billion U.S. dollars to the Indonesian government in 2006 through its local unit.

The sum, which was 33 percent higher than what the copper and gold miner paid out in 2005, comprised 1.29 billion dollars in taxes, 159 million in dividends and 146 million in royalties, reported English daily The Jakarta Post.

PT Freeport Indonesia paid a total of 5.1 billion dollars to the Indonesian government between 1992 and 2006 based upon its 1991 contract of work.

More than three quarters of this sum consisted of taxes, with the rest being made up of royalties and dividends.

The Indonesian government has a 9 percent stake in the company.

Freeport-McMoRan reported 5.79 billion dollars in total revenues for 2006 alone, up almost 40 percent from the previous year. Freeport Indonesia remained its largest contributor, with sales last year of 1.2 billion pounds of copper at an average price of 3.13 dollars an ounce, and 1.7 billion pounds of gold at 566.51 dollars an ounce.

Source: Xinhua