“We must improve the business process related to supervision, especially for permits that are issued,” the ministry’s Director General of Law Enforcement Dwi Januanto Nugroho said during a discussion, which was followed online from here on Thursday.
The current high level of public awareness regarding nickel mining activities in Raja Ampat islands, which have great ecological value, is an opportunity to make improvements and ensure good governance, he added.
Related news: Ministry cautions on sedimentation from Raja Ampat mining
He informed that his ministry has collected data and information on the areas in Raja Ampat where five mining companies were operating before the government decided to revoke the mining business permits (IUP) of four of them.
The permits of the four companies—PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, PT Nurham, PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa, and PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining—were revoked following public outcry over environmental damage.
Nugroho did not dismiss the possibility of his ministry taking legal action against the companies if their operations are found to have violated regulations.
At a press conference at the President’s Office in Jakarta on Tuesday, State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi said that President Prabowo Subianto decided to revoke the permits during a meeting with several ministers in Bogor, West Java, on Monday.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia informed that the revocations were based on findings that a part of the companies’ operational areas overlapped with the Raja Ampat Geopark.
Related news: Raja Ampat: Forestry Ministry vows post-mining-ban crackdown
Translator: Prisca Triferna, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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