Tunggadewa Mattangkilang, Balikpapan – A mining watchdog group in East Kalimantan says that a number of companies are using conservation areas in the region for mining activities.
According to the East Kalimantan Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) data showed that up to 42 licenses were issued for mining activities within the Hutan Raya Conservation Park in Bukit Soeharto, Kutai Kartanegara, of which 31 were issued in a 1991 decree by the Forestry Ministry and 11 in a 2009 ministerial decree.
"It isn't only operational licenses, but there are also five coal hauling lanes within the conservation park. The state losses – if calculated using the non-tax state revenue method – would stand at Rp 18.1 trillion [$1.6 billion] from 2008 until today," said Merah Johansyah of Jatam. "It is accumulated over five years, and the losses could be higher because this is only a partial calculation. There are other losses that have not been included in the calculations."
Merah said that the 1991 ministerial decree shows that among the companies working in the conservation area are Moreseni Indonesia Pratama, with a mining area of 1,991 hectares, 50.4 hectares of which are located within the conservation park
Additionally, the 2009 ministerial decree mentions Tuah Bumi Etam with a 65,000-hectare mining area, 64,000 of which are located within the Hutan Raya Conservation Park, while companies identified as Lembuswana Perkasa and Energi Bumi Kartanegara reportedly owned hauling lanes from 2007 and 2010 respectively.
Jatam says it has filed the case to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) late in 2013, with regional officials and Forestry Ministry officials being named in its report.
"We have reported this case to the KPK, so we hope the KPK will immediately launch an investigation into this case so it can put behind bars the officials or businesses who have caused damage to the environment," Merah said. He also called on Kutai Kartanegara district chief Rita Widyasari to look into the matter and revoke operational licenses that were issued in violation of the law.
"The licenses have to be revoked if [the authorities] are serious in cleaning up the mining sector in Kutai Kartanegara, especially where bad mining companies are concerned," he said.
Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/watchdog-accuses-companies-mining-conservation-area/