Jakarta – Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia with the Coordination and Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal (Korsup Minerba) The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) held a meeting with the Ombudsman Commissioner of the Republic of Indonesia (ORI), Ahmad Alamsyah Saragih, at the ORI Office, on January 12, 2017, to encourage ORI involvement in guarding the follow-up of Coordination and Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal. During the meeting, the Coordination and Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal explained the journey of implementing the coordination and supervision for Minerals and Coal during 2014-2016, aiming to identify problems and reform the management of the mineral and coal sector in Indonesia.
Coordination and Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal is part of the National Movement to Save Natural Resources (GN-PSDA) and has been implemented in 31 provinces throughout Indonesia, with an emphasis on five (5) main problems, i.e., 1) structuring Mining License (IUP); 2) implementation of financial obligations; 3) supervision of mining production; 4) supervision of sales and shipment of mining products; 5) processing and refining of mining products.
Dian Patria, Chair of the Coordination and Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal, also explained that 2017 was a crucial year to ensure that the Central Government and Regional Governments followed up all findings and recommendations from the Coordination Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal. Moreover, after the deadline for evaluating the Mining License (IUP) based on Regulation of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) number 43, 2015 concerning Evaluation Procedures for the Issuance of Mining License, which ended on January 2, 2017, there were still 3,386 licenses with Non-Clean and Clear (CnC) status from a total of 9,721 licenses throughout Indonesia. Based on the regulation, the Governor is obliged to terminate/revoke Non-CNC and mining licenses that have expired. However, there has not been any significant follow-up done by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources or by the Regional Government.
Aryanto Nugroho, a representative from PWYP Indonesia, suspects that the long-delayed follow-up of the Coordination and Supervision for Minerals and Coal is due to administrative malls’ potential out by related officials. Therefore, ORI needs to be present to strengthen the follow-up implementation of Coordination and Supervision for Minerals and Coal, given its authority. For example, the ORI’s authority as stipulated in Law 23/2014, where the Regional Head is obliged to implement the Ombudsman Recommendation as a follow-up to public reports. (Article 351 paragraph (4)) Regional heads who do not implement Ombudsman Recommendations as a follow-up to public complaints as referred to in paragraph (4) will be given sanctions in the form of special deepening in the field of governance carried out by the Ministry and their duties and authorities carried out by deputy regional heads or officials designated. (Article 351 paragraph (5))
On this occasion, Ahmad Alamsyah Saragih revealed that ORI fully supports efforts to improve governance in the mineral and coal sector through Coordination and Supervision Team for Minerals and Coal (Korsup Minerba). ORI’s role is not only to move based on public reports but can actively conduct audits, review policies, and supervise if there is a potential for systemic mal-administration. Regarding the support of Coordination and Supervision for Minerals and Coal, ORI is committed to taking part in several activities throughout 2017, including Conducting policy audits to find out maladministration in policymaking; Acceleration of license revocation to prevent and repair damage to governance; Overseeing the implementation of the effectiveness of Reclamation and Post-mining, and issuing policy suggestions and recommendations to local governments.