President Prabowo orders 'all-out' probe into corporate forest fires

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto ordered National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo to launch an "all out" investigation into corporate crime linked to devastating forest and land fires across Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Speaking during a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday (September 16), the President stressed that administrative sanctions, such as business license revocations, are no longer enough to create a deterrent effect.

"I ask the National Police Chief to go all out. Mobilize the agencies under your command, investigate as deeply as possible and we will take action. We can no longer tolerate this," President Prabowo said in a statement released by the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday.

The President emphasized that the government will adopt a zero-tolerance policy moving forward, warning that corporate entities proven responsible for fires will face both administrative shuttering and criminal prosecution.

"I want no more excuses; if it is clearly established that a company is responsible, we must revoke all its licenses. Furthermore, if necessary… we must still investigate the criminal aspects," he stated.

During the meeting, President Prabowo received updates on ongoing firefighting operations and risk mitigation strategies for the next month and a half—a period identified as critical for fire vulnerability.

He called on state officials to maintain operational resilience as the government works toward comprehensive solutions.

Government ministries and the Indonesian National Police (Polri) have intensified legal and administrative enforcement against non-compliant concession holders across eight provinces, with Kalimantan seeing the heaviest concentration of actions.

The Forestry Ministry has suspended the business licenses of 26 companies and mandated environmental restoration across burned sites.

Simultaneously, the Environment Ministry sealed off operational sites belonging to 50 corporate entities, covering a total affected area exceeding 27,333 hectares.

On the law enforcement front, police have initiated criminal proceedings against eight corporations and are actively investigating 18 additional companies suspected of involvement in the blazes.

Related news: Indonesia boosts wildfire containment beyond priority provinces

Related news: Govt seals 50 companies over forest, land fires across eight provinces

Translator: Genta Tenri Mawangi, Yashinta Difa
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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