Jakarta. The Indonesian government has suspended 190 coal and mineral mining permits after companies were found to have failed in meeting reclamation and budget obligations, Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung said Tuesday.

The suspensions are based on a directive issued by the Directorate General of Mineral and Coal on September 18, which cited 190 firms that had not fulfilled their reclamation requirements. The sanctions were imposed after three formal warnings.

Despite the suspension, permit holders remain obligated to continue management, maintenance, and monitoring of their mining areas.

“This suspension is the result of a comprehensive evaluation of corporate obligations, particularly reclamation requirements,” Yuliot said during the Green Energy Summit in Jakarta.

The suspensions primarily affect coal operations in East and Central Kalimantan, as well as mineral mining in Southeast and Central Sulawesi.

“Companies that comply with regulations should not face these issues. As long as they operate according to their permits and business plans, they should be fine,” Yuliot added.

Mining companies are mandated to conduct post-mining reclamation to preserve the environment and keep production levels within the project plan approved by the government.

The move follows a broader government effort to tighten oversight of the mining sector. Recently, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry shut down hundreds of hectares of illegal mining operations in North Maluku and Southeast Sulawesi for encroaching on forest areas without proper permits.

Authorities reclaimed 321 hectares of land, including 148 hectares operated by Weda Bay Nickel in North Maluku and 173 hectares by Tonia Mitra Sejahtera in Southeast Sulawesi.

“They had mining permits, but they did not have permits to exploit forest areas,” said Rilke Jeffri Huwae, Director General of Law Enforcement at the ministry.

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