Ganjar Asks The Central Government Not To Give Mining Permits, Worried That The Slope Of Merapi Will Be Damaged

Ganjar Pranowo (Photo via Central Java Provincial Government)

SEMARANG - Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo asked the central government not to just give mining permits. Because as a result, local governments are affected by environmental damage due to these permits.

This was conveyed by Ganjar in front of a number of officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, heads of ESDM offices throughout Indonesia who are members of APESDDMPI and related officials at a coordination meeting of ESDM services at the Central Java ESDM Office, Friday, December 3.

"Now the mining permit is taken centrally with the Online Single Submission (OSS). That is indeed good, the business is very fast and the community will be satisfied. But as a result, we are in a dizzy area," he said.

He gave an example, around the slopes of Mount Merapi, precisely in Klaten, in the past there were only eight official miners who had permits. They can be controlled and monitored. But after the licensing was withdrawn to the center, currently there are many mining permits popping up.

"From only eight, now there are 100 more. Imagine 100 more, surely there will be damaged," he said.

Ganjar asked that the central government and local governments sit together. That way, the issue of mining permits can be managed properly.

"Which can be mined, what is not destructive, it can be controlled. It turns out that fast is not enough, it will definitely be very exploitative and damage the environment," he said.

For this reason, in the association forum for ESDM management agencies throughout Indonesia, Ganjar asked that there be serious discussions regarding the management of mineral resource mining. In the midst of population growth and exploration, the environment will be threatened.

"Today I am happy, associations of ESDM offices throughout Indonesia gathered. The issue is interesting, about how to manage mineral resources in Indonesia for the prosperity of the people," he added.

Ganjar also advised the head of the ESDM service to continue to uphold integrity. The reason is that this ESDM issue has a lot of corrupt practices because the big money source is there.

"So the association's friends meet to review the various problems that exist. I entrust it, let's keep our integrity in the world to this ESDM," he concluded.

The event was held in a hybrid manner, some were present directly and some were face to face. A number of heads of ESDM offices in Indonesia attended directly in Semarang, including from Papua, South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, East Java, West Java, DIY, Bangka Belitung and so on.