After Thousands Of Mining And Forestry Business Permits Were Revoked, Central Sulawesi Provincial Government Committed To Improve Licensing Management

Member of Governor Sultan Rusdy Mastura (ANTARA)

SULTENG - The Central Sulawesi Provincial Government (Pemprov Sulteng) has begun to improve and improve the governance of mining, plantation and forestry business permits in the province.

"Today Governor Rusdy Mastura will discuss the matter with several regional heads regarding the existence of mining, plantation and forestry business permits which have been revoked by the Central Government," said Central Sulawesi Governor M Ridha Saleh in Palu as quoted by Antara, Wednesday, 12 January.

The government has revoked thousands of mining, forestry and plantation business permits (HGU), as stated by President Joko Widodo in a statement on January 6, 2021.

In the forestry sector, 192 permits have been revoked for an area of 3,126,439 hectares. The permits were revoked for being inactive, not making a work plan and being neglected.

In addition, abandoned plantation HGUs were also revoked for an area of 34,448 hectares, of which 25,128 hectares belonged to 12 legal entities and the rest was part of the abandoned HGU belonging to 24 legal entities.

The Central Government stated that the state's mining, forestry and land use permits were being evaluated thoroughly. Permits that are not executed, are not productive, are transferred to other parties, and are not in accordance with their designations and regulations are revoked by the government.

"The Governor of Central Sulawesi Rusdy Mastura is more selective and asks all regional heads in Central Sulawesi to also be selective regarding mining, plantation and forestry business permits," he said.

Ridha Saleh said Governor Rusdy Mastura asked the relevant OPD and regents and mayors not to immediately give business permits to these sectors, to investors, before conducting a thorough study of aspects of their use.

"For the governor, investors who are given a business license but do not run the business permit are the same as abandoning them. So it is better not to give it, because it is important to be selective," he said.

Governor Rusdy Mastura wants investment that enters the region to have a direct impact on regional economic growth and society.

"This desire does not mean simplifying all processes, without being selective. Because the procedure is still being carried out, and it must be really selective from upstream to downstream," he said.

"This is because the revocation of permits by the Central Government is a warning for all of us to improve and evaluate permits," he said.

Central Sulawesi Provincial Government data shows that four companies that invest in the forestry and plantation sectors in Central Sulawesi have their business permits revoked by the Central Government.