Antara News·Indonesia·Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 12:13 PM UTC

Gov't prepares small-scale mining rules in Nabire District

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Ali Nur Ichsan, Cindy Frishanti Octavia

Nabire (ANTARA) - The government is preparing regulations to accommodate small-scale, community-based mining in Nabire District, Central Papua, while continuing enforcement against operations that violate environmental standards.

Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin urged individuals engaged in mining to respond wisely to enforcement measures in forest areas, emphasizing that those policies are intended for the common good.

"We will establish regulations, and certainly, we will no longer overlook those who claim to be 'community miners' while actually employing heavy machinery," Burhanuddin said in Nabire on Thursday.

Burhanuddin noted that drafting the regulations must account for individuals who mine for basic livelihoods without compromising legal requirements or environmental sustainability.

He emphasized that authorities must distinguish between true subsistence small-scale mining and commercial operations utilizing heavy machinery in violation of the law.

He asserted that illegal heavy machinery usage will continue to face strict legal action.

Further enforcement against non-compliant entities falls under the authority of law enforcement agencies, including the police.

"The management of natural resources must be conducted in compliance with the law, while preserving the environment and providing benefits to the community," he said.

The government expects the upcoming small-scale mining regulations to provide legal certainty for compliant local miners while preventing commercial operators from using community mining as a cover.

Specific details regarding regulatory structures, licensing mechanisms, designated mining zones, and operational requirements have not yet been released.

Burhanuddin made the remarks amid ongoing forest area enforcement operations, including the revocation of the Mining Business License (IUP) held by PT Kristalin Eka Lestari.

The license was revoked after the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) uncovered mining activities violating forest area regulations.

Task force inspections revealed that the company also failed to fulfill statutory obligations regarding reclamation guarantees and mandatory land reclamation.

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