Mining permits under review

President Prabowo Subianto told Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia to review mining permits in forest areas within one week and revoke the ones that break the rules. (setkab.go.id) Prabowo gave the order at a government work meeting at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta on April 8, 2026. The review covers mining business permits in protected forests, conservation forests, national parks, and other forest zones. (presidenri.go.id) He told Bahlil to report back every day for seven days and said any permit that was “unclear” or non-compliant should be withdrawn. State Secretariat reporting on the meeting said the order followed reports of hundreds of problematic permits in forest areas. (presidenri.go.id) The move extends a crackdown Prabowo began soon after taking office, when he called cabinet meetings on forest regulation and illegal mining in late 2025. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said those meetings focused on permits, forest governance, and enforcement. (en.antaranews.com) Indonesia’s government has said some miners hold a mining permit but still operate illegally in forests because they lack a forest-use permit known as Persetujuan Penggunaan Kawasan Hutan, or approval to use forest land. Bahlil said in December 2025 that those operators would face sanctions because unpermitted mining had left forest land heavily damaged. (en.antaranews.com) Prabowo has tied the issue to state losses as well as environmental damage. In October 2025, he said illegal mining in Bangka Belitung alone may have cost the state about 300 trillion rupiah, or roughly $19 billion at exchange rates at the time. (en.antaranews.com) The president has also widened the response beyond licensing. In November 2025, he instructed Defense Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin to strengthen law enforcement against illegal mining after another cabinet meeting on the issue. (en.antaranews.com) Civil society groups say revoking permits is only part of the job. Publish What You Pay Indonesia said on April 12 that the government should publish which permits are being reviewed, restore damaged forest land, and make sure enforcement does not stop at paperwork. (pwypindonesia.org) For now, the deadline is the story: seven days, daily updates, and a direct order from the president to pull permits that do not hold up under review. (setkab.go.id)