President Prabowo Revokes 28 Companies’ Business Permits to Enforce Compliance in National Forest Areas

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi delivers a press statement on Tuesday (01/20) at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta. (Photo by: BPMI of Presidential Secretariat)

In a bid to improve governance and enforce compliance in economic activities involving natural resources, especially in national forest areas, President Prabowo Subianto has decided to revoke the permits of 28 companies proven to have committed violations.

“The President has decided to revoke the permits of 28 companies that have been proven to have committed violations,” Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said in a press statement at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta, Tuesday (01/20).

The Minister pointed out that the decision demonstrates the Government’s commitment to regulating and enforcing compliance in these activities, adding that the President issued Presidential Regulation Number 5 of 2025 on the control of forest areas.

This presidential regulation serves as a legal basis for the establishment of the Forest Area Regulation Task Force, assigned to audit and examine businesses extracting natural resources, including forestry, plantation, and mining companies.

Within one year, the task force managed to regulate and reclaim control over 4.09 million hectares of oil palm plantations located in forest areas, restoring 900,000 hectares of which as conservation forest to maintain global biodiversity.

“Out of this area, 81,793 hectares are in the Tesso Nilo National Park in Riau province,” the Minister said.

The Minister further stated that, following the hydrometeorological disaster in the provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, the task force expedited audit processes in those regions and reported the results in a limited meeting held through a video conference and led directly by President Prabowo from London, the United Kingdom, on Monday (01/19).

According to the Minister, the President took firm action to revoke the permits of 28 companies upon receiving the report.

“The 28 companies consist of 22 companies with forest utilization permits for natural forests and industrial plantation forests, and six companies with mining, plantation, and timber forest product utilization business permits,” he said.

On that occasion, the Minister also expressed appreciation to the Forest Area Regulation Task Force and everyone involved on the ground, as well as to the Indonesian people who have continued to support the Government.

“Once again, we would like to reaffirm that the Government remains committed to enhancing governance of businesses extracting natural resources to ensure adherence and compliance with prevailing regulations. Everything we do is for the interest and the welfare of all people of Indonesia,” he remarked. (BPMI of Presidential Secretariat) (DH/AW)