No wonder, provinces in Kalimantan have since the era of former president Soeharto become the target of various mining firms and timber tycoons who ran both legal and illegal businesses to exploit the resources, including mining deposit and forests, which are known as the `lung` of the world.
However, the glory of Kalimantan`s forests is now only a story of the past as they have been damaged by logging activities, slash and burn practices, forest fires, mining activities and land openings for plantations.
A total of 1,236 mining firms and 537 oil palm plantation companies are believed to have operating illegally in Central, East and West Kalimantan provinces since in the past 10 to 15 years. As a result, the illegal operations of the companies have caused estimated losses of about Rp311.4 trillion to the state, according to Raffles Panjaitan, director for forest investigation and protection of the Ministry of Forestry.
Raffles Panjaitan said that of the total, Rp158.5 trillion losses were suffered in Central Kalimantan, Rp31.5 trillion in East Kalimantan and Rp121.4 trillion in West Kalimantan.
He said that several of the companies are large-scale firms as they hold land concessions on thousands of hectares of land.
In Central Kalimantan, there are 629 mining companies and 282 plantation firms. In West Kalimantan the number of mining enterprises reaches 384 and that of plantation 169 firms. In the meantime East Kalimantan has 223 and 86 mining and plantation companies respectively.
Reports filed by district heads/mayors and governors indicated that these firms had violated their licenses in their operations.
According to Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hassan a team of the forestry ministry and the Judicial Mafia Elimination Task Force have examined the findings based on the reports filed by the district heads/mayors and governor of Central Kalimantan province.
Based on the reports, the minister said, there are 282 plantation companies which are operating without a license on lands covering 3,934,963 hectares, while the number of illegal mining companies reaches 629 units which operate on a land of 3,570, 518.20 hectares.
The joint team, namely the ministry of forestry team and the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force, carefully studied the reports.
The joint team, the minister said, had examined nine companies opening up land for mining exploitation in a forest protected area, namely PT BBP, PT AKT, PT BST, PT DSR, PT SKEJ, PT HM, PT KPS, PT RC AND PT KSK.
Apart from that there are 54 plantation firms which have no licenses from the ministry of forestry with a total land exploitation area of 623,001 hectares. Of these areas, 5,000 hecrares are found in North Barito district, 20,000 hectares in South Barito district, 10,500 hectares in East Barito district.
They are also found in Kapuas district (150,410 hectares), Gunung Mas district (83,770 hectares), Katingan district (71,900 hectares), East Kota Waringin district (107,276 hectares) Seruyan district (40,445 hectares), West Kota Waringin district (38,700 hectares) and Lamandau district (86,000 hectares).
Other firms operating illegally are PT MASK (20,000 h), PT MSS (19,500 h), PT SP (15,000 h), PT RASR (20,000 h), PT KAL (20,000 h), PT DAM (20,000 h), PT ATA (15,000 h), PT TPA (15,000 h), PT MSAL (15,000 h), PT KKK (17,000 h), PT KDP (17,500 h) and PT GRMK (16,200 h).
Forestry Minister Zulkifli said his side did disclose the full names of the companies for the interest of further investigation. "We do not disclose their full names because they are still at the level of investigation as there are indications of violations that should be followed up," the minister said.
He said that in East Kalimantan, the number of problematic plantation companies reached 86 units with lands covering 720,829.62 hectares while that of mining is recorded at 223 units with a land of 774,519.45 hectares.
In West Kalimantan, problematic plantation companies number 169 units with a total areas covering 2,145,846.23 hectares and mining firms are recorded at 384 units which an combined area of 3,602,263.30 hectares.
The names of companies involved in East and West Kalimantan are not yet disclosed because they are still under investigation of the forestry ministry`s working group in cooperation with the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force.
To follow up the cases, the minister has formed a joint team which involved the ministry of forestry, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Junior Attorney General for General Crimes, Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes, the Ministry of Environment, the Higher Prosecutor Office and Regional Police.
The joint team is formed to conduct examinations and investigations on violations in the exploitation of forest areas in the three provinces.
The minister said that investigation would take three months. "I ask the team not to stop until it finishes its task," Zulkifli said.
The ministry of forestry also asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to conduct examinations and investigations on alleged abuse of authorities, corruption and collusion by apparatuses in the regions regarding the issuance of licenses for the problematic companies.
"We have priorities to the six districts," he said mentioning the initials of the districts as B and S in Central Kalimantan, K and K in East Kalimantan, and M and M in West Kalimantan.
In the meantime, Achmad Santoso of the judicial mafia task force said the working group of the forestry ministry and the judicial mafia task force would recommend four points.
The recommendation will include matters on provincial master plan, land border, formation of a organization, the strengthening of the capacity of the Forest Management Unit (KPH), integrated licensing and transparency of licenses on forest areas.
(T.A027/A014/H-NG)
Reporter: by Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
