ESDM Office: 160 mining companies hold operating permits in Banten

The Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office of Banten Province has recorded that 160 mining companies currently hold production operation permits in the region.

Head of the Banten ESDM Office, Ari James Faraddy, stated in Serang on Friday that the figure was obtained after the office completed a thorough evaluation of hundreds of companies in the mining sector.

“We have finished evaluating 239 mining companies, covering the exploration stage, production operations, mining business permits (IUP), as well as transportation and sales. Currently, 160 permits are in production operation status,” said Ari.

Ari explained that the distribution of these permitted mines spans several regencies in Banten Province. The highest concentrations, with balanced numbers, are in Lebak Regency and Serang Regency, followed by Pandeglang Regency.

Despite their legal status and permits, the ESDM Office ensures that strict supervision continues. For companies that violate mining regulations or neglect obligations such as submitting monthly production reports and carrying out annual reclamation, the ESDM Office will not hesitate to impose administrative sanctions.

“We have imposed administrative sanctions. Starting from the first, second, and third warnings, up to temporary closure. This temporary closure remains in effect until the company fulfils its obligations according to the findings of the task force in the field,” he asserted.

As a further coaching measure, the Banten ESDM Office will summon the permitted mining companies next week to discuss compliance with mining vehicle operational hours, ensuring discipline from the upstream side.

“Next week we will summon the mining companies to remind them that this enforcement must start from the upstream. If violations are found in the issuance of travel documents outside operational hours, we will immediately impose sanctions,” he explained.

On the other hand, the ESDM Office also plans to reopen the mining permit moratorium soon. This step is expected to suppress the emergence of illegal mines, leaving no excuse for business operators not to obtain official permits.

The development of legal mining also goes hand in hand with the firm closure of 33 illegal mining sites carried out jointly with the Special Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Banten Regional Police.