The Family Hope Program (PKH) Task Force Begins Controlling Illegal Mining, Seizing 321.07 Hectares of Land

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force or Satgas PKH has identified 4.2 million hectares of mining operations within forest areas without the proper permits for the use of forest areas. This area is controlled by 51 companies. Of the total area of 4.2 million hectares, only 321.07 hectares owned by two companies are under the control of the task force.

In a press conference in Jakarta, Friday (12/9/2025), the Attorney General for Special Crimes at the Attorney General's Office, Febrie Adriansyah, as the Chairman of the PKH Task Force, explained that from the findings of mining openings covering an area of 4.26 million hectares, the task force has identified 51 companies and has followed up by conducting verifications on 21 companies.

Based on the verification results, the task force has taken enforcement measures by regaining control of an area of 148.25 hectares in Central and East Halmahera, North Maluku, within the mining area of PT Weda Bay Nickel. The remaining area, measuring 172.82 hectares, is located in the mining area of PT Tonia Mitra Sejahtera in Bombana, Southeast Sulawesi.

"We carried out the (reoccupation of the land) yesterday, on September 11, 2025, or Thursday, certainly with careful legal considerations," he explained.

The enforcement is a follow-up to the order of President Prabowo Subianto as conveyed in his state address at the Annual Session of the MPR on August 15. At that time, Prabowo stated that he had received reports of 1,063 illegal mines that could potentially harm the state by at least Rp 300 trillion. He instructed law enforcement agencies to regulate these mines.

The press conference was also attended by the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the PKH Task Force, Minister of Defense Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni, Minister of Environment Hanif Faisol Nurofiq, Head of the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) Muhammad Yusuf Ateh, and Head of the Criminal Investigation Agency of the National Police, Commissioner General Syahar Diantono.

With many areas still not reclaimed, Febrie urged all relevant ministries, agencies, and local governments to assist in facilitating the process of regulating the forest area.

In the future, the PKH Task Force will also calculate and collect from the legal subjects of the lands that have been reclaimed. This effort is carried out under the latest legal framework following the issuance of Government Regulation Number 24 of 2021 concerning the Procedures for Imposing Administrative Sanctions and the Procedures for Non-Tax State Revenue. The administrative fines in the forestry sector will begin to be calculated and collected as there is now a legal basis for it.

"How the handling will be later, we will impose fines on several business actors whose plantations we have reauthorized, and we will carry out the collection," he said.

In addition, regarding the illegal oil palm plantation areas that have been dismantled by the PKH Task Force, a total of 833,413.46 hectares have been handed over to PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara, while 81,793 hectares have been transferred to the Ministry of Environment, specifically those located in the Tesso Nilo National Park area, Riau.

"Today, the PKH Task Force will hand over 674,178.44 hectares of forest land in phase 4 to PT Agrinas," he added.

After the fourth stage of handover, the total area of palm oil plantation forest that has been transferred to PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara has reached 1,507,591 hectares. Meanwhile, the remaining forest area of 1,817,542 hectares is still in the verification process for being handed back to PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara.

Thus, the total forest area that has been successfully reclaimed by the Task Force since its establishment eight months ago has reached 3.3 million hectares, or more than 300 percent of the initial target of 1 million hectares.

The PKH Task Force has also requested an assessment from the Ministry of Finance to evaluate the assets that have been handed over. The value of these assets is estimated to reach Rp 150 trillion.

"Another significant achievement from the PKH Task Force's work is the contribution of Rp 325 billion to the state escrow account as of August 31, 2025," he added.

Based on data from the Directorate General of Taxes of the Ministry of Finance on September 8, 2025, the activities of the PKH Task Force also contributed to tax deposits amounting to Rp 184.82 billion and additional state revenue of Rp 1.21 trillion as of September 8, 2025.

"So, it is quite significant what has been targeted with such a budget; the achievements have already been quite substantial by the PKH Task Force," said Febrie.

In a separate communication, a researcher from the Anti-Corruption Study Center (SAKSI) at the Faculty of Law, Mulawarman University, Herdiansyah Hamzah, stated that based on the information he received, there are allegations of selective enforcement carried out by the PKH Task Force when regulating forest areas. He found that the agroforestry land owned by indigenous communities in Aceh has become the target of the PKH Task Force, while forest areas controlled by certain companies are left untouched.

"According to reports received from civil society, there is cherry-picking, where the PKH Task Force is selective. This is a problem and is frequently complained about by the public," said Herdiansyah.

With this complaint, he is worried that the target of regulating oil palm forest and mining areas is actually just to "change players".

"If that is indeed what happened, it is very unfortunate. Because in the end, what occurs is merely going from the mouth of a crocodile to the mouth of a lion. This will not provide a recovery aspect for the living space of the community, but rather a business orientation of changing players from private to state." he stated.

He hopes that in the future, the PKH Task Force can be more transparent, open, and receptive to public aspirations during land enforcement, especially concerning lands owned by indigenous communities.