Lapindo Mud Victim Entrepreneurs Ask For Clarity Of Compensation

SIDOARJO - The Lapindo Mud Victim Entrepreneurs Association (GPKLL) held a 19th anniversary of the tragedy of Lapindo's hot mudflow in Porong, Sidoarjo Regency, East Java, in order to echo the clarity of the payment of compensation for affected business actors.

"The Lapindo hot mud burst has occurred for 19 years, and the company has not resolved the main problem related to compensation for land owned by business actors," said GPKLL attorney Mursyid Mudiantoro in a statement in Sidoarjo, Saturday.

Mursyid explained that the victims of Lapindo mud consisted of two categories, namely the victims in the map of affected areas (PAT) and outside the PAT, and were divided into two elements, namely households and business actors.

According to him, compensation for victims, both from household elements and business actors outside the PAT, has been paid through APBN funds.

However, for the victims inside the PAT who are direct victims, Mursyid revealed that until now it has not been resolved, especially victims from elements of business actors.

The GPKLL attorney said that the number of affected business actors was 31 companies, both PT and CV, with a total area of land that had not been replaced with an area of 85 hectares.

The majority of the embankments that were standing to accommodate the mudflow, he said, stood on land owned by business actors who had not been paid.

He said the state only provided certainty of compensation for victims from household elements amounting to Rp781 billion through the 2015 State Budget, while victims from elements of business actors have not been replaced to this day.

GPKLL urges Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to immediately intervene to re-evaluate the policy for handling the case

"We ask and ask President Prabowo to immediately evaluate the policy for the completion of the Lapindo hot mudflow disaster," he said.