Govt toughens stance on mining<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry will issue new regulations to
\nestablish strict conditions for firms operating in protected
\nforests, in a bid to minimize environmental destruction.<\/p>\n
The regulations are part of the ministry's attempt to help
\nrestore its tarnished image after the endorsement of a
\ncontroversial government regulation in lieu of law that allows a
\nnumber of mining firms to resume open-pit operations in the
\nareas.<\/p>\n
Spokesman of the Ministry of Forestry Transtoto Handadhari
\nsaid several decrees were being prepared by the ministry to limit
\nthe potential destruction caused by mining operations on natural
\nforests and the environment nearby.<\/p>\n
"Under the decrees, mining firms are expected to be more
\naccountable for any slight environmental damage resulting from
\ntheir operations," Transtoto told a media briefing on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Transtoto said that under the regulations, the firms would
\nhave to deposit funds with the government, which would be used to
\nfinance the rehabilitation of their mining site after their
\nconcession expired.<\/p>\n
"The deposits are to ensure that firms do not ignore their
\nresponsibility to rehabilitate mining sites," he said.<\/p>\n
Although the amount of the deposit had yet to be decided, a
\nsource at the ministry said that it would be at least Rp 1
\ntrillion (US$111 million) for each firm, depending on the size of
\ntheir concession area and the type of their mining products.<\/p>\n
In exchange for a concession, firms would also have to provide
\na plot of land larger than their concession if they operated in a
\nprovince whose natural forest accounted for less than 30 percent
\nof its total land area, he said.<\/p>\n
Transtoto said the ministry would allow a year for firms to
\nmeet the requirements, otherwise their licenses would be revoked.<\/p>\n
The House of Representatives endorsed last week a government
\nregulation in lieu of law that allows mining firms to resume
\nopen-pit operations in protected forests, along with a
\npresidential decree that grants licenses to 13 mining firms to
\noperate in such areas.<\/p>\n
Transtoto said, however, that under the proposed regulations,
\nthe 13 firms could not automatically operate in protected forests
\nas they had to secure an operating permit from the ministry. The
\nministry would only issue permits for areas that had proven
\nmineral deposits.<\/p>\n
The ministry will issue a permit after a recommendation from a
\njoint team, which includes representatives from the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences (LIPI).<\/p>\n
Firms will have to renew their license every five years, and
\nif the ministry discovers any violation covered by forestry
\nlegislation, the license will immediately be revoked.<\/p>\n
Transtoto said another crucial ruling in the regulations was
\nthat the ministry would divide each of the concessions into
\nblocks, meaning that a firm could not mine the next block unless
\nit had rehabilitated the previous one.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, executive director of Greenomics Indonesia Elfian
\nEffendi said that based on international practice, the 13 firms
\nshould lodge a rehabilitation deposit totaling around Rp 154.7
\ntrillion (US$17 billion).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-toughens-stance-on-mining-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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