Indonesian government regains 5 million hectares of forest land

The symbolic handover took place in Jakarta on Friday, led by Attorney General ST Burhanuddin, who serves as deputy chair of the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) steering committee.

The assets were handed over to Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni and Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa, in the presence of President Prabowo Subianto.

Burhanuddin said the task force has reclaimed 5,888,260.07 hectares of forest land from the palm oil sector since February 2025, and 10,297.22 hectares from mining activities.

Of the total area, 254,780.12 hectares of conservation forest have been handed over to the Finance Ministry.

The land includes 149,198.09 hectares of production forest designated for conversion in Ketapang, West Kalimantan.

It also covers 510.03 hectares of the Lae Kombih Grand Forest Park in Subulussalam, Aceh, and 105,072 hectares in the Mount Halimun–Salak forest area in Bogor.

Another 30,543 hectares will be transferred from the Finance Ministry to sovereign wealth fund Danantara and then to state-owned firm PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara.

Burhanuddin stressed the importance of strong law enforcement in tackling forest-related crimes.

He warned that weak enforcement could lead to losses in state revenue, assets, and authority.

“Conversely, strong, smart, and targeted law enforcement will improve governance, recover state losses, and create a healthier business climate that benefits the national economy,” he said.

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Translator: Nadia Putri, Kuntum Khaira