JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Control of mining license (IUP) that have not met the clean criteria without problems has not been completed. Previously, the government promised a deadline for evaluating mining licenses on January 31, 2017, and announced in early March 2017.

It is recommended that mining licenses that have not been certified as clean without problems are revoked.

“The process of evaluating and matching data in the regions is not completely complete. We hope there will be news shortly,” said the Head of the Bureau of Communication, Public Information Services and Cooperation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Sujatmiko, Monday (3/4), in Jakarta.

According to Sujatmiko, not only the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, but the arrangement of mining licenses (IUP) also involves other government institutions, such as the Corruption Eradication Commission and local governments where license-holding companies operate. The focus of control is on mining licenses that have not been certified clean without problems (clear and clean/CNC).

The status of CNC in a license shows that the license is orderly in terms of administration, does not overlap, and the license documents match the designation. CNC status is also needed as information on mining reserves and monitoring related to non-tax state revenue (PNBP).

According to the Ministry of Finance’s records, mineral and coal mining companies’ compliance with tax reporting is low. In 2011, 3,037 taxpayers reported tax returns (SPT), and 2,964 taxpayers did not report their SPT. In 2015, it was worse, namely, 2,577 taxpayers reporting SPT and 3,642 taxpayers not reporting.

From the records of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Indonesia, a civil society coalition for transparency and accountability of Indonesia’s extractive resources, there are 9,433 mining licenses throughout Indonesia. Of these, 3,203 licenses have non-CNC status, and 5,800 licenses have expired. Of the licenses with non-CNC status, as many as 1,674 licenses overlap with conservation areas and protected forests.

“Until now, there has been no significant development. The government, both at the central and regional levels, should consistently evaluate these problematic mining permits so that their licenses will be revoked”, said Advocacy and Network Manager of PWYP Indonesia, Aryanto Nugroho.

In the announcement of the stipulation of the 23rd CNC mining licenses and the list that were revoked by the Director-General of Mineral and Coal of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bambang Gatot Ariyono, last February 22, 1,352 permits were recommended by governors and regents/mayors to obtain CNC status. As much as 807 permits have not met the criteria for CNC. (APO)