Antara, Bogor – Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurrofiq has revoked the environmental permits of nine businesses operating in the popular Puncak tourism area of Bogor Regency, West Java, citing violations of land use regulations and disregard for environmental protection.
The ministry also announced plans to forcibly demolish structures that breach environmental laws in the highland destination, a move prompted by the failure of local businesses to comply with demolition orders.
According to Hanif, those businesses had been instructed to dismantle buildings located within protected forest areas or on land owned by the state plantation company, PTPN.
"After repeated warnings and no action from the Bogor Regency government, we decided to intervene directly and revoke their permits," Hanif said on Sunday during a site inspection in Puncak.
The Environment Ministry has given business owners until the end of August 2025 to dismantle the illegal structures voluntarily. If they fail to comply, the government will proceed with forced demolitions, accompanied by legal action.
"Those who violate the regulations will face penalties under Article 114 of Law No. 32/2009, which carries a maximum prison sentence of one year," Hanif said.
Some business owners have already begun complying with the demolition order, such as CV Mega Karya, which has started tearing down eight gazebos and a restaurant. However, Hanif warned that non-compliant businesses will face immediate inspections and enforcement.
"If they continue to ignore the order, we will step in directly to demolish the buildings and initiate legal proceedings," he added.
In addition to the demolitions, business owners are required to restore the environment through reforestation and ecological rehabilitation to return the area to its natural state.
According to Hanif, 33 businesses are currently leasing land from PTPN in Puncak but have constructed buildings that violate environmental and spatial planning regulations.
Once the current enforcement phase is completed, the government will also begin organizing and reclaiming approximately 400 hectares of land in the Puncak area believed to be illegally occupied without formal agreements with PTPN.
"We will verify all land use in the area and take corrective action wherever necessary," Hanif said.
He stressed that unregulated development in the upstream Ciliwung River watershed – where Puncak is located – has exacerbated environmental degradation and increased the risk of downstream flooding in areas such as Depok and Jakarta.
Hanif urged both residents and investors to stop building villas or starting new business ventures in Puncak, especially in the Cisarua subdistrict.
"Villa construction in this region must stop. The best investment we can make today is in protecting the environment and planting trees," he said.