Jakarta – The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) of the Republic of Indonesia has expressed support for the recommendation from Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia regarding a moratorium on mining permits. This support was conveyed during a public discussion on the Dissemination of PWYP Indonesia’s Study and Research Reports, titled “Reorganizing Indonesia’s Coal Sector within the Framework of a Just Energy Transition,” in Jakarta on November 27, 2025.
In the forum, PWYP Indonesia presented four reports related to coal governance, one of which was a study titled “The Urgency of Pushing for a Moratorium on Mining Permits for Safety and Sustainability.” This study highlights the rapid expansion of mining, which has exceeded environmental carrying capacity and triggered ecological and social issues.
A representative from Bappenas’ Directorate of Energy, Mineral, and Mining Resources, Nur Laila Widyastuti, stated that a moratorium on mining permits is vital for maintaining environmental sustainability while supporting national decarbonization targets. Although the mining sector still contributes significantly to the economy, the pace of mining expansion is considered excessive.
“Bappenas supports the moratorium as an instrument to accelerate the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Mining expansion in various regions has exceeded environmental carrying capacity, triggering spatial conflicts and massive damage, such as what has occurred in East Kalimantan,” said Nur Laila.
She added that the prevalence of mining accidents, post-mining pits, deforestation, and ecological disasters is a strong reason to impose a moratorium. Although not easy to implement, the moratorium is seen as an essential momentum for reorganizing mining governance, including comprehensive audits and evaluations of existing permits.
In addition, the moratorium is expected to create space to improve regional spatial planning. “Reorganizing the Spatial Planning (RTRW) must be adjusted to ecological capacity. Many land conversions have serious impacts on the environment,” she explained.
This moratorium proposal, continued Nur Laila, is in line with the mandate of the National Energy General Plan (RUEN), namely limiting coal production to a maximum of 400 million tons per year and reducing exports, as regulated in Law Number 30 of 2007 on Energy. Support for the moratorium is part of the commitment to energy transition toward a low-carbon economy.
Bappenas believes the moratorium needs to be strengthened with stronger legal foundations, supported by robust mechanisms and sanctions. On the other hand, the government must also anticipate social and economic impacts, especially for regions that have long depended on the mining sector. “The moratorium must be accompanied by solutions for economic transformation in mining areas, including economic diversification and incentives for businesses to shift to non-coal sectors,” said Nur Laila.
She emphasized that Bappenas is ready to integrate the moratorium policy into the National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN), the Government Work Plan (RKP), and climate change mitigation action plans, thereby making it a reference for central and regional governments.
In the future, Bappenas also sees the need for instruments to measure regional readiness to implement the moratorium, for example, through a mining-area readiness index. This instrument can help identify regions ready to move away from dependence on fossil fuels.
PWYP Indonesia’s study recommends a permanent moratorium on new coal mining permits, including in coastal areas and small islands. Audits of permits and the environment must accompany the moratorium, strengthened legal sanctions, and enforcement of national production limits in accordance with the RUEN mandate.
In addition, PWYP Indonesia’s working groups in various regions of Sumatra-Kalimantan, Sulawesi-Papua, and Java-Nusa Tenggara also voiced demands for a moratorium on mining affecting communities. They presented real environmental damage, while the economic benefits of mining are considered not yet fairly felt by the surrounding communities.