Secretary General Of ESDM: The Existence Of A Law Enforcement Unit At The Ministry Of Energy And Mineral Resources Is A Necessity

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Rida Mulyana revealed the possibility of establishing a law enforcement unit at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

According to Rida, as the recipient of a mandate from all Indonesian people in the management and security of energy and mineral resources, the State is obliged to carry it out responsibly.

Supervision over the management of energy resources and mineral resources in the form of security and law enforcement at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources which is currently being carried out by Civil Servant Investigators (PPNS) is deemed insufficient.

Therefore, he continued, it is possible to form a new unit that specifically handles law enforcement in mining activities that are proven to have committed irregularities.

This initiative received a positive response and support from the Indonesian House of Representatives, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI), and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"Regarding law enforcement and strengthening PPNS in carrying out law enforcement activities (Gakum) in the ESDM sector, it is coupled with a recommendation from the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security, that the existence of a law enforcement unit in the ESDM sector is a necessity," he said in a statement to the media, Wednesday 24 August.

According to him, the establishment of a new structure that handles law enforcement in the energy and mineral resources sector is deemed necessary solely for the benefit of the state.

"Among other things, for better non-tax state revenues (PNBP)," Rida continued.

Member of Commission VII DPR RI who was also present as a speaker Adian Napitupulu also saw the need for the establishment of a special unit in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources that handles law enforcement. According to him, in mining activities there are often violations of the law in its implementation.

"Why don't we just create a Gakum unit at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. There are 2,700 illegal mines, around a thousand have their licenses revoked due to violations, maybe around 300 are operating. Then there are thousands more legal and illegal mines and we don't have the DG of Gakum. In my opinion, it's not just omission, it's like approval of all violations," said Adian.

For this reason, Adian requested that the new unit be formed immediately, because if it is too late, there will be no more natural resources that need to be monitored.

"Why should this be accelerated, because if it is too late when we realize that there are no more natural resources. Natural resources in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources are natural resources that have the potential to run out except for renewable energy, others will run out, oil runs out, gold runs out, all kinds of coal are depleted," said Adian.

"That later there will be rules of the game on how the process of prosecution will be carried out, it remains only to be regulated by articles. In principle, we agree, if it is necessary, it should be formed immediately, because in my opinion this is very important," continued Adian.

Still in the same place, the Head of the Legal Bureau of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, M. Idris F. Sihite, said that in joint meetings with the DPR it was often stated that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources would immediately form a unit that specifically carries out law enforcement.

"Because the numbers are already very massive and in terms of state revenues, it is felt that it is decreasing both in the oil and gas sector as well as in the mineral and coal sector (minerba)," said Idris.

Especially for mineral and coal, continued Idris, the number is getting higher and higher. Recommendations for the establishment of a law enforcement unit also came from ORI and the KPK.

"After we considered and received input from the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Commission VII of the DPR RI, ORI and the KPK, they emphasized that it was urgent to establish an Echelon I Unit or a unit that specifically handles law enforcement," explained Idris.

Based on existing records, there are currently 2,741 mining locations without permits or crates spread across various regions in Indonesia. 96 locations of coal crates spread across East Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Bengkulu, and South Sumatra.

There are also 2,645 mineral mining locations spread across almost all provinces.

In addition, data from mining inspectors in the field shows that mining activities without permits involve around 3.7 million workers, with details of approximately 480 locations outside the Mining Business Permit Area (WIUP), and 133 locations within the WIUP, and 2,128 unknown locations inside or outside the WIUP to be identified.

"The description of the specific conditions currently occurring (the high number of violations of the law in the Energy and Mineral Resources Sector and the low number of prosecutions) shows a contradiction between the needs and the existing reality, so that the formation of a unit specifically in charge of law enforcement is a necessity that we urgently need," concluded Indris. .