48 coal companies reclamation guarantees in arrears threatened their licenses to be revoked

Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - Head of South Kalimantan ESDM Office Isharwanto. (Antaranews Kalsel/Latif Thohir)

A total of 48 coal mining companies holding Mining Business Permits (IUP) in South Kalimantan are threatened with revocation of their licenses because until now they have not paid the 2018 reclamation guarantee arrears.


Head of the South Kalimantan Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Office Isharwanto in Banjarbaru on Tuesday said the agency had issued the first warning letter to the 48 companies.

Based on ESDM data, the arrears of reclamation guarantee funds for 48 mining companies in 2018 is Rp138 billion.

"If until the end of July 2019 those companies still do not pay arrears on reclamation guarantee funds, we will have to stop their coal shipment," he said.

If the first warning is not responded, the agency will again send a second warning until the companies have to be revoked or closed.

Ishar revealed, it was not possible to immediately close the companies concerned, because it considers the interests of employees.

Many workers are currently dependent on the sector, so the closure of the companies is the last step the government will take, after giving warnings according to the specified stages.

According to Ishar, currently his party is working hard to improve the mining sector, including the management of reclamation guarantee funds.

In 2016, when mining companies were still managed by the district government, many paid a small amount of reclamation guarantee funds. As an example, one company in Tanah Bumbu only paid Rp150 million, after it was calculated by South Kalimantan Energy and Mineral Resources, based on reclamation document data, it turned out it had to pay Rp1.5 billion.

"That deficiency must now be paid by the companies until the time limit that we have set," he said.