Gembong Hanung, Jakarta – The government has halted the operations at major emitting facilities run by eight companies in Greater Jakarta for violating emission standards, a move critics say may offer limited relief in tackling pollution from the region long choked by coal-fired power plants.
In a press conference last week, the Environment Ministry announced that it had shut down several smokestacks and other combustion facilities owned by companies identified only as PT BK; PT MF; PT MG; PT KP; PT RJ; PT PM; PT DK; and PT TK, after failing to comply with environmental assessments designed to curb industrial air pollution.
The decision followed a series of emissions inspections conducted between Jan. 16 and 22 across 40 industrial complexes in Greater Jakarta, including industrial zone Kawasan Berikat Nusantara (KBN) Marunda in North Jakarta, Jatake Industrial Area in Tangerang city, Banten, and Bekasi Fajar Industrial Estate in Bekasi, West Java.
According to the ministry's suspension letters obtained by The Jakarta Post on Monday, six of the eight companies include an agribusiness firm in East Jakarta, a fast-moving consumer goods company in North Jakarta, a manufacturing plant in Tangerang, as well as a wood factory, a packaging company and a ceramics producer in Bekasi.
Most closures targeted coal-fired smokestacks and large spray dryers after inspectors observed thick black smoke, believed to indicate inadequate waste monitoring systems.
"There is no room for industries that prioritize profits at the expense of public health. We are immediately halting the operation of 'emission sources' from these eight companies," said Rasio Ridho Sani, the ministry's deputy for pollution and environmental damage control.
He added that companies failing to upgrade polluting facilities could face legal action.
Insufficient move?
The Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) described the suspensions as a mere "reactive move" that would do little to address the root causes of pollution in Greater Jakarta.
Walhi's urban justice campaign manager Wahyu Eka Styawan said shutting down these facilities would have limited effect, as emissions primarily come from the more numerous coal-fired power plants operating in the region.
Meanwhile, he noted, the government continues to "roll out a red carpet" for the expansion of such plants. "This reveals a serious contradiction in claims about addressing air pollution," Wahyu said.
Greater Jakarta, comprising the capital Jakarta and neighboring cities in West Java and Banten provinces, is the world's most populous megacity, with over 42 million inhabitants, according to the United Nations.
More than 2 million cases of respiratory illness were recorded in Jakarta alone in 2025, a situation widely attributed to poor air quality.
In an interview with the Post last week, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung acknowledged 16 coal-fired power plants in West Java and Banten as major contributors to pollution. He cited ongoing waste-to-energy projects and public transit initiatives as efforts to cut emissions.
"So, I believe that the city is on the right track to reduce emissions and overcome traffic jams," he said.