Indonesia revokes licenses of five companies over Kalimantan wildfires

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni announced the revocation of business licenses for five companies as part of a sweeping crackdown on land and forest fires in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo.

“This aligns with the President’s (Prabowo Subianto’s) directive for impartial law enforcement. It must not only be strict on those at the grassroots level but also rigorously applied to those at the top,” Antoni said in a statement released here on Tuesday.

The penalized companies held forestry concessions spanning a combined 92,464 hectares across West, Central, and South Kalimantan. They include PT Wana Lestari Jaya, with a 29,140-hectare concession in Sanggau and Sekadau; and PT Prima Multi Buana, with an 11,882-hectare concession in Banjar.

Also sanctioned were PT Pancaran Wana Nusa, with a 3,812-hectare concession in Lamandau; PT Grace Putri Perdana, with a 28,990-hectare concession across Lamandau, Sukamara, and Ketapang; and PT Babugus Wahana Lestari, with an 18,640-hectare concession in Kapuas.

According to ministry data, fires ravaged a total of 1,169.13 hectares across these privately managed areas.

The damage included 47.84 hectares at PT Wana Lestari Jaya, 18.20 hectares at PT Prima Multi Buana, 497 hectares at PT Pancaran Wana Nusa, 374.99 hectares at PT Grace Putri Perdana, and 231.10 hectares at PT Babugus Wahana Lestari.

Antoni stated the revocations were a direct consequence of corporate violations. He emphasized that holders of Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBPH) are legally bound to protect their designated areas and fulfill the obligations according to the granted license.

“Because they disregarded and neglected these responsibilities, I am officially revoking these five licenses today,” the minister declared.

He has hoped that the strict measures will serve as a strong deterrent, warning other operators against engaging in illegal slash-and-burn practices or ignoring wildfires on their land.

“We hope this sends a clear message to all companies overseen by the Ministry of Forestry to ensure they do not commit or overlook the burning,” Antoni said.