Sigi Regency Government Affirms No Permit for Illegal Gold Mining Activities

Sigi (ANTARA) — The Sigi Regency Government in Central Sulawesi has affirmed that it has never permitted unlicensed gold mining activities in the region.

Sigi Regent Moh Rizal Intjenae said that all regional heads recently held a coordination meeting with the governor and members of the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) in Central Sulawesi to discuss improvements to environmentally friendly and sustainable mining governance.

“One of the key outcomes agreed upon at the meeting was that all gold mining areas without permits must be prohibited from operating, including in Sigi Regency,” Rizal said when meeting the press in Sigi on Monday.

He stated that the regional government remains committed to protecting the environment from pollution caused by illegal mining activities.

“Even for mines that hold valid permits, we must examine how committed the companies are to their Environmental Impact Assessments (Amdal) to prevent environmental contamination,” he said.

He explained that Sigi Regency is specifically free from illegal gold mining activities and focuses solely on the agriculture, tourism, and livestock sectors.

“Including Category C excavation materials — if anyone is found in violation and not complying with prevailing regulations, we will issue a formal warning,” he added.

According to data from the Lore Lindu National Park Authority (BBTNLL), there are seven illegal gold mining sites within the Lore Lindu National Park area in Sigi Regency, including Kintabaru at 0.13 hectares, Ueloe at 0.3 hectares, Sibowi at 0.5 hectares, and Kangkuro at 2.5 hectares.