The Satuan Tugas Penertiban Kawasan Hutan (Satgas PKH) has once again\nhanded over the results of state financial recoveries and the\nreclamation of forest areas. This is the sixth stage handover, valued at\nmore than Rp 11 trillion.<\/p>\n
The handover to the state through the Attorney General was witnessed\ndirectly by President Prabowo Subianto on Friday (10\/4\/2026). This\nunderscores that the enforcement of illegal land is a national\npriority.<\/p>\n
\u201cUp to now, the total cash we have successfully recovered is Rp 31.3\ntrillion,\u201d the President stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIts value is enormous; it could help repair 34,000 schools and build\n500,000 subsidised houses for our low-income brothers and sisters,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
The value of the fines successfully collected from violators of\nforest land use permits is indeed impressive. However, this achievement\nin administrative sanctions\u2014essentially on paper\u2014has not yet truly\naddressed the root problems in the field. Satgas PKH must go further\nthan formal legal matters towards a comprehensive Ecological Audit.<\/p>\n
Achievements and Challenges<\/p>\n
It cannot be denied that Satgas PKH has shown excellent performance\nin mapping overlapping land claims and forcing rogue corporations to pay\nfines. Local communities around the forests have also welcomed it\npositively, as it finally provides legal certainty.<\/p>\n
Regarding this achievement, I remind that reclaiming forest areas\nmust not stop at the handover of documents on the table. Land damaged by\nillegal conversion must have its biological functions restored as a\nguarantee for the future.<\/p>\n
Satgas PKH should also implement an ecological audit mechanism. The\nmain function of an ecological audit is to verify the actual conditions\nin the field.<\/p>\n
The land must function biologically again, not just legally. And\nrestoring the forest is the responsibility of those who caused the\ndamage.<\/p>\n
Ecological Audit<\/p>\n
I emphasise that fines are essentially administrative punishments for\npast mistakes. In contrast, an ecological audit is a mechanism for\naccountability for future guarantees.<\/p>\n
There are three main pillars in the ecological audit that Satgas PKH\nmust carry out, not only at the specific land locations but also at\naffected surrounding areas. Especially peatlands that are vulnerable to\nburning because they are dried out in the process of preparing\nproduction forest land.<\/p>\n
Verification of Physical Restoration Not Just on Paper<\/p>\n
This audit checks whether the violating companies have carried out\nrewetting on the peatlands they dried out. The ecological audit ensures\nthat canal blockages are truly built technically. The fine money has\nentered the state treasury, but if the canals remain open and the peat\nis still dry, fires will continue to occur.<\/p>\n
Examination of Forest Alveoli Health<\/p>\n
In research on Climate Change Mitigation (2021), forests that have\nbeen illegally converted suffer from soil structure damage. The\necological audit will measure how far the soil\u2019s capacity to reabsorb\ncarbon and water has been restored.<\/p>\n
Audit of 20% Plasma Obligations<\/p>\n
Satgas often finds plasma built outside HGU, leading to conflicts.\nThe ecological audit ensures that plasma land distribution is carried\nout in environmentally suitable areas and provides real economic\nbenefits to local residents without damaging conservation zones.<\/p>\n
Connecting Budgets to the Front Lines of Forest Fire Prevention<\/p>\n
I also highlight the budget issue. The trillions of rupiah in fines\nfrom Satgas PKH should be managed to strengthen mitigation in the\ninterior.<\/p>\n
So far, the authority to use forest fire control budgets is still\nconcentrated at the provincial or regency level, far from the fire\nlocations. However, monitoring and prevention could be more effective if\nthe funds were in the hands of the village head nearest to the actual\nforest fire points.<\/p>\n
This proposal encourages regulations that allow the funds to flow\ndirectly to Village Heads to strengthen Fire Care Communities (MPA).<\/p>\n
Fires emerge in villages, but the money is in the cities. This is\nwhat makes us always late.<\/p>\n
I also encourage the use of firefighting equipment suitable for local\nterrain, such as solar-powered portable pumps from local inventions,\nrather than relying on imported equipment that often gets stuck in peat\nmud.<\/p>\n
Ecological Sovereignty<\/p>\n
The success of Satgas PKH\u2019s actions is a major asset. Unfortunately,\nwithout an ecological audit, fine sanctions risk being viewed as a \u2018cost\nof permission to destroy\u2019 by the corporate violators.<\/p>\n
We must utilise the momentum of President Prabowo\u2019s firmness to\nensure that every rupiah of fines entering is equivalent to the return\nof our forests\u2019 breath.<\/p>\n
Aswin Usup, Forestry Expert at Palangkaraya University (UPR);\nChairman of the National Dayak Scholars Association (ICDN) Central\nKalimantan<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/fines-are-not-a-hand-washing-excuse-for-forest-destruction-1776088251", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }