Government Asked To Tighten Supervision Of Mining Industry

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JAKARTA - Forestry and conservation law policy observer from the University of Indonesia (UI) Budi Riyanto assesses that the government must tighten supervision of the mining industry. Do not let the impression of leaving hands as a regulator.

This was conveyed by Budi in response to the steps taken by the Attorney General's Office (AGO) to determine PT RBT, PT SIP, PT TIN, PT SB and CV VIP as corporate suspects in the corruption case of tin trading system in the mining business permit (IUP) area of PT Timah in 2015-2022. He highlighted that the five companies actually had official permits so that they should be supervised by the government.

"The question is, who should be responsible for this? Don't let the government just let go, but he is the supervisory regulator. Moreover, from the corporation there is a permit, there is a permit that is still alive, which means there is supervision," Budi told reporters quoted on Saturday, January 4.

Budi even doubts that the calculation of state losses is the basis for the AGO to determine the five corporate suspects. This is because the problem of environmental damage has its own paramatter and should be calculated holistically.

"It cannot be partially damaged by water like this, damaged the land like this, the plants are like this. But it must be holistic. The scientific authority, if we used to live in LIPI, is now replaced by BRIN," he said.

"The issue of BRIN will later invite experts in Bogor, please. So don't think that each person will immediately be used as a basis for prosecution. That's what's dangerous in my opinion," continued this observer.

Mining law expert, Abrar Saleng also highlighted the determination of this corporate suspect. According to him, the AGO seems to question the activities of mining companies that already have permits.

"Ministors who have permits that are questioned are not questioned. Even though the illegal ones, they don't, they don't, they don't, there is no environmental responsibility, there is no obligation to the country either," he said separately.

Moreover, most mining cases will usually be resolved administratively, not civil if there is a violation. Then, this case is usually handled by police and civil servant investigators (PPNS) from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, not from the institution or just a matter of experts.

"In particular, the mining world is in doubt (calculation of experts, ed) because mining people can also calculate environmental losses, not just agricultural people," concluded Abrar.