
Sailing out across the turquoise waters of Port Hedland harbor aboard the Anangel Explorer, a vessel laden with the first shipment of iron ore from the US$10 billion Roy Hill Mine, is a moment that stands out of many milestones for mining magnate Gina Rinehart, the Executive Chair of Hancock Prospecting.

The Philippines has at least 415 special economic zones. These are composed of manufacturing, IT Parks, tourism, agro-industrial and medical jurisdictions that enjoy the benefits and perks similar to other SEZs in other countries. Along with our other economic low-hanging fruits such as tourism, agriculture and export of services, these special zones are magnets of growth and development. They spur economic activities and boost our exports of goods and services. They generate immediate employment and allow our citizens to bring home much-needed support for their families.

Australia’s big miners including BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue and companies controlled by Gina Rinehart paid more than $28.5 billion in tax in 2020-21, accounting for nearly a third of total corporate tax revenue.

Indonesia’s government has made the development of the country’s special economic zones (SEZ) a priority policy with the aim of attracting over US$50 billion in foreign investment over the next decade, particularly for SEZ-oriented manufacturing. As of 2022, there are 19 SEZs of which 12 are in operation and the remainder are in the construction phase. Eight are designated for tourism with the rest for manufacturing and processing. This policy is a recent development in Indonesia.