On June 10 (Tuesday), Indonesia's Energy Minister, the world's major nickel ore producer, stated on Tuesday that Indonesia had revoked the mining licenses of four mining companies in Raja Ampat, Papua, its easternmost region, following strong public protests over concerns about the environmental impact of these companies.
Indonesian Energy Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said that Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had decided to revoke the mining licenses of four nickel companies in the region starting Tuesday to protect the surrounding environment from further damage.
These nickel mining companies are PT Nurham, PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, and PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa, which operate in Raja Ampat and the surrounding islands.
Bahlil said that the government had not issued quotas to these four companies because they had failed to meet administrative requirements, meaning they were not currently producing.
However, the license of another nickel mining company, PT Gag Nikel, was not revoked because it operated outside the designated geopark. PT Gag Nikel is a subsidiary of state-owned miner Aneka Tambang (Antam).
Gag Nikel is the only company producing in the region, with an annual mining quota of 3 million mt. Last week, Indonesia's Energy Ministry suspended the company's mining activities following protests.
Bahlil said that the government would "comprehensively" monitor its activities.
Antam stated last week that Gag Nikel had replanted forests and protected coral reefs.
