Thursday, April 23, 2015 | 22:17 WIB
BENGKULU, KOMPAS.com – The Civil Society Coalition of Bengkulu, Lampung and Banten called for local governments to immediately take decisive steps to overlap mining licenses in forest areas, improve mining and plantation governance.
“We highlight that local governments immediately revoke overlapping mining, plantation permits, because it impacts on forest and land conflicts, aspects of state revenue losses, ecological and humanitarian disasters,” said Satria Budhi Pramana, To the Bengkulu Foundation Root Advocacy Division, Thursday (4/23/2015).
He quoted data from the Director General of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, that there were 123,693.74 hectares of mining areas included in protected forest areas in three provinces: Bengkulu, Lampung and Banten with a total business permit unit of 34 units, 5,960.3 hectares mining areas that enter conservation forest consisting of 31 mining permits.
In Bengkulu Tengah Regency there are four Mining Business Permits (IUP) that enter the Bukit Daun Register 5 Forest Area and Limited Production Forest.
Based on data held by the Civil Society Coalition in Bengkulu (Akar, WALHI and Genesis) the Production IUP is burdening around 1,399.52 hectares into the Bukit Daun Protection Forest Register 5 and Limited Production Forests.
Supintri Yohar, Genesis Bengkulu Program Coordinator, revealed that the KPK had recommended revoking overlapping licenses in forest areas, especially Conservation Forests and Protected Forests, which were encumbered with mining permits.
Aryanto Nugroho, Head of the Advocacy and Network Division of PWYP Indonesia explained, the calculation made by the Civil Society Coalition showed that from 2010-2013 it was estimated that the potential loss of revenue from the mining sector land rent reached Rp. 25.05 billion in Bengkulu; Rp 10.46 billion in Lampung and Rp 5.35 billion in Banten. Thus the total potential loss of revenue in the five provinces is more than Rp 40.876 billion.
Author: Bengkulu Contributors, Firmansyah
Editor: Bambang Priyo Jatmiko
Source: Kompas.com