West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government Accelerates 15 People's Mining Permits
The West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Provincial Government is accelerating the process of issuing 15 People’s Mining Permits (IPR) on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa. These fifteen blocks are spread across Sekotong, West Lombok, Dompu, Sumbawa, West Sumbawa, and Bima Regency.
Acting Regional Secretary of NTB, Lalu Moh. Faozal, emphasized the urgency of accelerating the 15 IPRs as a solution to the rampant illegal mining and as a solution to the declining regional income in the land of Gora. However, the reclamation documents from the cooperatives that will manage the IPRs are a concern.
“The potential of the IPR is something that can save NTB from the PAD (Regional Revenue) side. We have a large contribution to the country, but our fiscal situation is not in good shape,” said Faozal during a Focus Group Discussion at Bank NTB Syariah, Mataram, Tuesday (February 24, 2026).
Faozal said that the current fiscal condition of NTB is under pressure due to the reduction of Transfer Funds to the Region (TKD) by the central government by IDR 1.2 trillion.
Of the 16 IPR proposals received, only one location has been successfully processed as a pilot project, namely in Selanong, Bukit Mas Bangket. However, the people’s mining block in Sumbawa still has technical obstacles related to post-mining reclamation documents and the administrative readiness of the mining cooperatives.
“So there are differences in the interpretation of rules or ‘three schools of thought’ between the ESDM (Energy and Mineral Resources) sector, the Environment (LHK), and Cooperatives. There needs to be synchronization of these three agencies so that it does not easily create legal loopholes,” said the former Head of the NTB Transportation Department.
The NTB Provincial Government, said Faozal, has set four strategic steps. First, identify the problems of mining management, formulate a transparent legalization strategy, encourage cross-sectoral synergy between the central government, regions and law enforcement agencies.
“Finally, we will prepare sustainable policy recommendations. These steps are also expected to accelerate the discussion of the NTB DPRD’s (Regional People’s Representative Council) Initiative Regional Regulation on mining,” he said.
Faozal emphasized that the NTB Provincial Government is committed to managing the IPR. “The community has been waiting. We can’t delay any longer. Accelerating this regulation is the key to changing illegal mining into a legal sector that improves the welfare of the people,” he said.
The Head of the Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office of the Province of West Nusa Tenggara, Samsudin, said that the progress of the 16 IPR blocks in NTB is only one location that has successfully run as a pilot project in Bukit Selonong Sumbawa. However, the operation of the Selonong block is still far from perfect.
“This Selonong project is a dummy, but in the field we are still facing environmental problems related to post-mining reclamation and internal problems of the cooperative that have not been completed administratively,” he explained.
Samsudin also highlighted the existence of ‘clashes’ in regulations between the three main sectors: ESDM, Environment (LHK), and Cooperatives. Differences in understanding the rules cause the legalization process to be hampered. Meanwhile, pressure from mining communities continues to increase through various forms of expression.
“The main focus is to harmonize cross-sectoral policies and involve law enforcement agencies (APH) so that the permitting process has strong legal certainty,” he said.
For this reason, said Samsudin, the NTB Provincial Government will identify the problems in a factual manner and prepare policy recommendations that guarantee the welfare of the people without neglecting environmental sustainability in all IPR blocks in the land of Gora.