House Commission IV Absorbs Aspirations of Communities Around Banyuwangi Gold Mine

Banyuwangi (ANTARA) - Commission IV of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI) gathered community aspirations during the recess of the fifth session of the 2025-2026 parliamentary year in Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, on Thursday.

Chair of Commission IV of the DPR RI, Siti Hediati Soeharto, conveyed this during her working visit to Banyuwangi to directly review gold mining activities and their social impact on communities in the Pulau Merah Beach area, Pesanggaran District.

She revealed that, in accordance with Article 33 of the 1945 Constitution, natural resources are controlled by the state and must be used for the greatest possible welfare of the people.

According to Titiek, during her working visit, some residents living near the gold mining site admitted they were not yet prosperous, even though the precious metal mining activity in the regency at the eastern tip of Java Island had been underway for ten years.

“Earlier I asked whether the people of Banyuwangi are already prosperous. They said not yet. Yet the mine is right before their eyes. The regional government even holds shares here — if it holds shares, surely it should have received dividends,” she said.

If dividends had been received from such abundant gold production year after year, she continued, the people here should already be prosperous.

She added that Commission IV of the DPR RI would raise questions again with the operator of the gold mine located in Pesanggaran District, Banyuwangi Regency.

“The state has given a company the opportunity to manage this mine, but the end result must be to improve the welfare of the people. If they are not prosperous, then we will summon (the gold mine operator),” said Titiek Soeharto.