20 Forest Utilization Business Permits in Sumatra Will Be Revoked

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Ministry of Forestry, with the president's approval, will revoke approximately 20 poor-performing forest utilization business permits (PBPH) covering an area of 750,000 hectares. These permits are located in several regions, including three provinces affected by floods and landslides, namely Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

This was conveyed by the Minister of Forestry, Raja Juli Antoni, during a working meeting with Commission IV of the Indonesian House of Representatives at the Parliament Complex in Jakarta, Thursday (4/12/2025). This meeting also serves to follow up on the ecological disaster in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Before following up on law enforcement actions related to the causes of the ecological disaster in Sumatra, during the working meeting, Raja Juli presented data on deforestation in Indonesia from 2020 to September 2025. Data collected by the Ministry of Forestry indicates that deforestation by September 2025 reached 166,450 hectares.

"Deforestation in Indonesia until September has decreased by 49,700 hectares compared to 2024, or a reduction of 23.01 percent. This decrease in deforestation has also been identified in three provinces affected by flooding," he stated.

In detail, as of September 2025, deforestation in Aceh reached 10,100 hectares, North Sumatra 6,142 hectares, and West Sumatra 5,705 hectares. Meanwhile, the area of deforestation in 2024 in Aceh was 11,228 hectares, North Sumatra 7,141 hectares, and West Sumatra 6,634 hectares. Thus, the reduction in deforestation in Aceh is 10.04 percent, North Sumatra 13.98 percent, and West Sumatra 14 percent.

Raja Juli explained that a team from the Ministry of Forestry has gone to the field and identified 70 flood points in Aceh, which are categorized into 31 river basin areas (DAS) covering a total area of 3.05 million hectares across 15 districts/cities. From satellite imagery analysis, there has been a land-use change from forest to non-forest covering an area of 22,476 hectares from 2019 to 2024.

In North Sumatra, there are 92 flood points that fall within 13 river basins, covering a total area of 207,482 hectares across 11 districts/cities. The change in land cover from forest to non-forest in the region spans 9,424 hectares, which consists of forest areas covering 3,427 hectares and areas outside the forest or other land use covering 5,997 hectares.

Meanwhile, in West Sumatra, 56 flood points have been identified within 3 river basins covering a total area of 39,816 hectares spread across 14 districts/cities. The change in land cover from forest to non-forest spans 1,821 hectares, consisting of 1,444 hectares within forest areas and 377 hectares outside forest areas.

According to Raja Juli, the Directorate General of Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Forestry is currently conducting an inventory of legal subjects that are indicated to have contributed to the occurrence of landslide flood disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The Forestry Law Enforcement has temporarily found indications of violations against 12 companies in North Sumatra.

"Previously, we have revoked 18 PBPH covering an area of 526,114 hectares. As a follow-up to the regulation of forest areas, we will revoke the permits of 20 poorly performing PBPH covering 750,000 hectares across Indonesia, including in three affected provinces. However, the companies and their respective areas cannot be reported at this time," he said.

In addition, the Ministry of Forestry has also undertaken law enforcement efforts in the three provinces. In August 2025, the Ministry revealed a case of illegal logging in Solok Regency, West Sumatra. Then, in October 2025, officers secured four trucks loaded with mixed timber without documentation in South Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra.

Raja Juli is also committed to conducting a thorough investigation into the timber materials carried away by the floodwaters, which have attracted public attention in recent times. The investigation into the origin of the wood will be carried out through the establishment of a joint team with the National Police.

Separately, the National Executive Director of the Independent Forestry Monitoring Network (JPIK), Muhammad Ichwan, stated that many high-risk activities concerning forests are categorized as medium or low risk. As a result, companies are no longer required to undergo strict ecological procedures before working in forest areas.

The revision of various forestry regulations also expands concession areas through the PBPH scheme. This scheme accelerates the expansion of forest management rights (HPH), industrial timber plantations (HTI), and permits in natural forests, including in the upstream areas of critical watersheds.

"The process of evaluating carrying capacity has become merely an administrative process, rather than a substantive ecological consideration. Furthermore, the policy of legalizing illegal palm oil within forest areas through Government Regulation Number 24 of 2021 demonstrates how the state chooses to accommodate massive violations rather than enforce regulations," he stated.

According to Ichwan, one of the most concerning aspects of deforestation in Sumatra is illegal logging through the misuse of the Land Rights Holder (PHAT) scheme. A scheme that was intended to support community timber enterprises has instead turned into a laundering operation for illegal timber.

JPIK North Sumatra found at least 13 active PHAT in Batang Toru, and almost all of them are suspected of committing serious violations such as logging outside the permitted area, document forgery for transportation, and mixing natural forest wood as legal wood.

To break the cycle of destruction and prevent recurring disasters, Ichwan emphasized that the state must take strategic steps that address the root of the problem. Efforts can include a total moratorium on logging and new permits, as well as a comprehensive audit of existing permits.

In addition, the government also needs to ensure full transparency regarding concession maps and timber distribution, as well as implement field supervision and strict law enforcement. These efforts must run parallel to ecosystem rehabilitation and participatory upstream recovery involving various parties, including indigenous or local communities.