Illegal Mining in East Kalimantan Linked to Legacy Permitting Flaws, Says Provincial Energy Chief
Samarinda — The saga of illegal mining in East Kalimantan seems never-ending. Behind the massive pits carved out in secret lies a long-standing story of a once-convoluted permitting system. The Head of East Kalimantan's Energy and Mineral Resources Agency (ESDM), Bambang Arwanto, shed light on the issue in Samarinda on Thursday (1 May 2025).
According to Bambang, the prevalence of illegal mining is inseparable from the mining permit system that existed before the introduction of Online Single Submission (OSS).
"Previously, before the OSS era, the permitting mechanism allowed overlapping permits to occur, especially when the commodities involved were different. So there were parties who could obtain permits on land where other permits already existed, or on land that had not yet been released," Bambang said.
In practice, land whose ownership had not yet been formally released became a loophole. Some community members who felt their land rights had not been properly settled were tempted to engage in illegal mining themselves. Amid economic pressures, wildcat mining was seen as an alluring shortcut.
"There was land where permits existed, but the land itself had not been released. That's what was exploited, leading to the emergence of illegal mines," he explained.
However, since the risk-based OSS system (OSS-RBA) was implemented in 2018 and refined in 2021, Bambang said such situations should no longer recur. Under OSS-RBA, permits can no longer overlap and must comply with Spatial Use Activity Conformity Approval (PKKPR).
"Conflicting permits can no longer be issued. If a permit does not conform to spatial planning, it is automatically rejected," he said.
Nevertheless, Bambang acknowledged that pockets of illegal mining activity remain. The East Kalimantan Provincial Government, he stressed, continues to work on curbing such activities. The public has also been urged to actively report any illegal mining they discover.
"We have provided a complaints channel at the East Kalimantan ESDM Agency. We ask the public to help monitor the situation. If there is illegal mining, report it," he urged.
His hope is that through systemic improvements and strict oversight, the tangled web of illegal mining in East Kalimantan can gradually be unravelled, and the abandoned mining pits will one day be nothing more than a story of the past.
According to Bambang, the prevalence of illegal mining is inseparable from the mining permit system that existed before the introduction of Online Single Submission (OSS).
"Previously, before the OSS era, the permitting mechanism allowed overlapping permits to occur, especially when the commodities involved were different. So there were parties who could obtain permits on land where other permits already existed, or on land that had not yet been released," Bambang said.
In practice, land whose ownership had not yet been formally released became a loophole. Some community members who felt their land rights had not been properly settled were tempted to engage in illegal mining themselves. Amid economic pressures, wildcat mining was seen as an alluring shortcut.
"There was land where permits existed, but the land itself had not been released. That's what was exploited, leading to the emergence of illegal mines," he explained.
However, since the risk-based OSS system (OSS-RBA) was implemented in 2018 and refined in 2021, Bambang said such situations should no longer recur. Under OSS-RBA, permits can no longer overlap and must comply with Spatial Use Activity Conformity Approval (PKKPR).
"Conflicting permits can no longer be issued. If a permit does not conform to spatial planning, it is automatically rejected," he said.
Nevertheless, Bambang acknowledged that pockets of illegal mining activity remain. The East Kalimantan Provincial Government, he stressed, continues to work on curbing such activities. The public has also been urged to actively report any illegal mining they discover.
"We have provided a complaints channel at the East Kalimantan ESDM Agency. We ask the public to help monitor the situation. If there is illegal mining, report it," he urged.
His hope is that through systemic improvements and strict oversight, the tangled web of illegal mining in East Kalimantan can gradually be unravelled, and the abandoned mining pits will one day be nothing more than a story of the past.