Prabowo vows to revoke permits of foreign firms tied to fires

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – President Prabowo Subianto has strongly indicated that foreign-backed companies responsible for recurring forest and land fires face losing their operating permits, signaling that revoked concessions could be reassigned to Indonesia’s younger generation.

Speaking at the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of the Regional Financial Access Acceleration Team in Jakarta on Thursday, Prabowo highlighted that numerous foreign enterprises have held concessions for over a decade while repeatedly violating environmental regulations.

“Regarding forest fires, there are indications that many foreign companies bear responsibility. They have held concessions for over a decade, yet some have committed violations three, four, or even a dozen times—some as many as 19 times,” Prabowo stated.

“If they commit two violations, their permits should simply be revoked,” he added.

The President noted that while Indonesia takes its climate and environmental responsibilities seriously, some foreign nations direct criticisms at Jakarta despite companies from their own countries fueling the blazes.

He confirmed that the government plans to publicly disclose the names of the implicated foreign-affiliated entities at an appropriate time.

Prabowo expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), the National Police (Polri), and local governments in extinguishing fires—asserting that repeat violators deserve no permit extensions.

Reiterating his commitment to empowering local talent, the President declared that the government will not hesitate to strip foreign corporations of their rights—vowing that land seized from errant firms will be handed over to capable young Indonesians and regional experts.

The presidential warning runs parallel to intensifying enforcement actions across law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

Police have named 11 corporations as suspects in ongoing fire investigations, including three foreign-invested enterprises.

This follows an earlier announcement by the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Agency (Bareskrim) elevating 98 corporate-linked fire reports to formal investigations.

Meanwhile, the Forestry Ministry suspended the Forest Utilization Business Permits of six additional companies in Central Kalimantan, bringing the total number of penalized forestry firms to 32.

The administrative sanctions now cover concession areas spanning over 1.9 million hectares, which include 18,489 hectares damaged by flames.

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni warned that these companies could still face separate criminal charges if investigations prove deliberate wrongdoing.