Indonesia Revokes Licences Of 28 Companies after Sumatra Floods

JAKARTA, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- Indonesia has revoked the licences of 28 forestry, mining and plantation companies found to have violated prevailing laws and caused environmental damage, in the wake of severe floods and landslides that hit parts of Sumatra recently.

State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the decision was made after President Prabowo Subianto received a briefing from the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force during a meeting held via video conference from London. 

“The 28 companies consist of 22 Forest Utilisation Business Permit holders (PBPH) for natural and plantation forests and six companies operating in the mining and plantation sectors, as well as holders of Timber Forest Product Utilisation Business Permits,” he said in a statement issued late Tuesday.

The meeting on Monday was also attended by several ministers and senior officials, including Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo and Attorney General ST Burhanuddin.

Prasetyo noted that within one year of operation, the task force had succeeded in reclaiming and taking control of 4.09 million hectares of oil palm plantations located within forest areas. 

Of this total, he said around 900,000 hectares have been returned as conservation forests to safeguard global biodiversity.

Prasetyo reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that all natural resource-based businesses comply with the law.

“All of this is carried out for the greatest benefit and prosperity of all Indonesian people,” he said.

Prabowo is currently on a working visit to the United Kingdom and Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World Economic Forum. 

-- BERNAMA