Purbaya Visits Montara Victims, Brings Special Message from Prabowo

Finance Minister Purbaya Yudhi Sadewa is conducting a working visit to East Nusa Tenggara on Thursday (6/8/2026).

He said the working visit was a direct instruction from President Prabowo Subianto to meet communities affected by the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea.

“Before I came here, I reported to the President. The President sends his greetings to all the people here,” Purbaya said in a written statement.

Purbaya said that during this visit, the Head of State also asked him to listen directly to the aspirations of the community while reviewing the progress of handling the environmental and socio-economic impacts that are still being felt today.

“All complaints conveyed will be collected and I will report them to the President because he is paying attention to the condition of the people in this region,” he said.

As part of the visit, Purbaya went to Tablolong, Kupang Regency, and held a dialogue with residents who for the past 16 years have faced various consequences of the Montara oil spill that occurred in 2009.

The meeting was focused on gathering input regarding the condition of the community and the steps needed to support the acceleration of resolving the various issues still being faced.

The Finance Minister said he has been following the development of the Montara case for several years. Together with Ferdi Tanoni, Chairman of the West Timor Care Foundation (YPTB), Purbaya said he was also part of the Montara Task Force in 2018.

“Mr Ferdi and I were once together in the Montara Task Force around 2018. In this meeting, we discussed the development of the condition of the people of NTT, especially those affected by environmental and economic losses due to the Montara oil spill in the Timor Sea in 2009,” Purbaya said.

According to him, the problems caused by the Montara oil spill are not only related to environmental pollution but also have a direct impact on the economic life of coastal communities.

For years, fishermen have experienced declining catches, seaweed farming activities have been disrupted, and small business operators dependent on the marine sector have also suffered a decline in income.

Therefore, resolving the Montara issue needs to be carried out comprehensively by integrating environmental restoration, economic recovery for the community, and protection of the rights of affected residents.

Purbaya stressed that restoring the condition of the area is an important part of enabling the community to resume normal economic activities.

During the dialogue with residents, Purbaya also conveyed the government’s plan to send a research team to conduct a comprehensive study of the environmental condition in the affected area.

The study is expected to serve as the basis for formulating recovery measures so that the coastal ecosystem can once again support the community’s livelihood as it did before the pollution occurred.

“Apart from compensation, the most important thing is how this area can come back to life as it was before. Therefore, we will strive to send a research team to ensure the necessary recovery measures. All the results of this meeting will be reported to the President,” Purbaya said.

He also said the government will strengthen coordination across ministries and agencies so that various handling efforts can be carried out in an integrated manner.

Purbaya hopes this support will accelerate the implementation of various programmes needed by the community, both in terms of environmental restoration and improving the welfare of coastal residents.

In addition to discussing environmental restoration, the meeting also highlighted the progress of the distribution of compensation rights for affected communities.

Purbaya stressed that the government continues to oversee the process so that it is carried out in accordance with applicable regulations while prioritising legal certainty, accountability, and a sense of justice for the community.

“We also discussed various matters related to efforts to resolve the distribution of compensation rights for affected communities. The aspirations of the community need to be continuously monitored so that the resolution process runs well in accordance with applicable regulations,” the Finance Minister said.