Indonesia targets 30 companies over forest fires, seeks fines

Speaking after inspecting wildfire mitigation operations in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Monday, Environment Minister Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat said the legal claims include 5 trillion rupiah ($282.6 million) for direct state losses and roughly 10 trillion rupiah ($565.3 million) for environmental rehabilitation.

“They must compensate for state losses and fund environmental restoration,” Hidayat said, emphasizing that the nationwide crackdown aims to strictly enforce bans on illegal land burning.

The Environment Ministry stated that the steep financial penalties demonstrate that national wildfire strategy extends beyond emergency firefighting to enforcing corporate accountability and compelling convicted companies to fund ecosystem recovery.

Alongside judicial measures, local authorities are maintaining active field operations to prevent current blazes from spreading and head off large-scale recurrences.

So far this year, approximately 8,000 hectares of land have burned in South Kalimantan—a sharp decrease compared to the 190,000 hectares destroyed during the severe dry season in 2023.

“With 8,000 hectares burned so far, we hope it will not reach the levels seen in 2023,” Hidayat said, calling on local stakeholders to maintain joint prevention efforts.

Hidayat noted that while early mitigation programs have successfully contained fire spread, weather conditions and rainfall timing remain critical factors.

He added that firm legal enforcement against non-compliant corporations will remain a cornerstone of Indonesia’s strategy to prevent future environmental disasters.

Translator: Tumpal Aritonang, Uyu Liman