Mining Permits in Forest Areas Begin to Be Arranged, Bahlil Has a Direction for Execution from the President

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia / Photo: Teddy Kurniawan-VOI

JAKARTA - The government has begun to arrange mining business permits (IUP) located in forest areas. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia said the process had been reported to President Prabowo Subianto and is now in the execution phase.

Bahlil said that the arrangement was a follow-up to the President's order given in a working meeting to ministers, deputy ministers, and officials at the I level.

"We have also reported to the President, because I was given a week's time," Bahlil told reporters at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Thursday, April 16.

The arrangement targets IUPs within forest areas with different statuses. Bahlil said there were mining permits in protected forests, conservation forests, nature reserves, and other forest areas.

"There are in protected forests, there are in conservation forests, there are later in nature reserves, and some IUPs in forest areas," he said.

According to Bahlil, the report has received a response from the President. The government is now following up on the technical level. "Insyaallah the results are also good and I have received technical instructions so that I will immediately carry out further executions," he said.

However, Bahlil has not opened any permits that will be arranged, how many of them, and what form of action will be taken.

In fact, for an issue like this, the crux of the matter is in the details. Who has permission to enter the forest area, who will be evaluated, and who will continue to run. Without it, the public only hears the plan for enforcement, but has not seen how far the government dares to touch the area that has been sensitive.