President Prabowo Affirms No Mercy For Land Burners Corporation

President Prabowo chaired a limited meeting with a number of ministers of the Red and White Cabinet at the private residence of the President, Bukit Hambalang, Bogor Regency, West Java. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The President of the Republic of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto, emphasized the government's firm commitment in dealing with forest and land fires (karhutla), especially those involving corporations. He stated that there would be no room for tolerance for companies to open land by burning.

"President Prabowo Subianto firmly said that the practice of clearing land by burning will not be tolerated by the government," said Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Budi Gunawan, as quoted by ANTARA.

This statement, continued Budi, is also an affirmation so that every company is more responsible in managing the land provided by the state, as well as a form of the government's seriousness in anticipating forest and land fires that repeat every dry season.

In prevention efforts, the government designed a holistic approach that incorporates strict law enforcement, the use of modern technology, and continuous preparedness.

President Prabowo, according to Budi, is also ready to provide full support for the use of environmentally friendly heavy equipment and technology in the land clearing process, as an alternative to destructive combustion methods.

"The president wants the land clearing process to be carried out in a modern manner, using sophisticated, environmentally friendly equipment so as not to pose a risk of a fire," said the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs.

Previously, President Prabowo chaired a limited meeting in Bogor Regency, West Java, on Friday (1/8). The meeting was focused on efforts to mitigate forest and land fires ahead of the dry season which is predicted to have a serious impact in various regions.

The meeting was attended by a number of high-ranking state officials, such as Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Head of the Personal Secretariat of President Rizky Irmansyah.

In addition, a number of ministers participated online via video conferences, including Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi, Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sudaryono, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Brian Yuliarto, and Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni.

Other ranks who participated included the Minister of Investment and Downstreaming Rosan Perkasa Roeslani, Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto, Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono, and Deputy Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Didit Herdiawan.