Jakarta, August 25, 2026 – The Europe Today: Indonesia’s Forestry Ministry has imposed administrative sanctions on six Forest Utilization Business Permit (PBPH) holders following forest and land fires that affected a total of 1,511.55 hectares within their concession areas in Kalimantan.
The ministry’s Director of Forestry Supervision, Imposition of Administrative Sanctions and Civil Law, Ardi Risman, said sanctions had been imposed on four companies in West Kalimantan — PT WEL, PT FI, PT MPK and PT WSP — as well as PT NES in Central Kalimantan and PT PSR in East Kalimantan.
According to Risman, the sanctions followed repeated forest and land fires in the companies’ operational areas. Under the measures, the companies are required to strengthen their fire prevention and control systems and restore affected areas within specified timeframes.
He said the government had imposed mandatory corrective measures requiring the companies to improve fire management systems and undertake environmental restoration. In the case of PT MPK, its business permit has been suspended in addition to the government coercive measures due to the scale and repeated occurrence of fires.
Risman warned that failure to comply with the imposed obligations could result in stronger sanctions under applicable regulations, including revocation of business permits.
Monitoring showed that the fires affected approximately 760.51 hectares within PT WEL’s concession, 394.83 hectares within PT MPK’s area, 107.7 hectares at PT WSP, 95.87 hectares at PT FI, 82.26 hectares at PT PSR and 70.38 hectares at PT NES.
The sanctions were imposed following assessments of the companies’ implementation of measures to prevent and control forest and land fires within their respective operational areas. Companies operating in fire-affected locations may also be required to undertake vegetation restoration.
For peatland areas, restoration measures include improving hydrological functions through water management, canal blocking, peatland rewetting and monitoring groundwater levels.
Meanwhile, the Forestry Ministry’s Director General of Forestry Law Enforcement, Dwi Januanto Nugroho, stressed that permit holders have a responsibility to protect their concession areas and prevent environmental damage.
He said administrative sanctions are intended to address violations, ensure compliance and require companies to undertake corrective measures and environmental restoration. However, further legal action could be pursued if evidence of criminal activity is found.
Nugroho warned that authorities would investigate and take legal action against parties found to have intentionally caused forest fires or benefited from fires and environmental damage, based on available evidence.
The ministry’s measures underscore Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen corporate accountability and improve forest and land fire prevention and environmental restoration in fire-prone areas of Kalimantan.
