Jakarta. Indonesia has recovered Rp 13.24 trillion ($740 million) in administrative fines, tax revenue and proceeds from law enforcement, as authorities intensify a crackdown on unauthorized plantations and mining operations in forest areas.

Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin formally handed the funds to Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara at the Attorney General's Office in Jakarta on Tuesday, in a ceremony witnessed by President Prabowo Subianto.

“Today, we report and hand over Rp 13.24 trillion to the state through the Finance Ministry to be deposited into the state treasury,” Burhanuddin said.

Of that amount, Rp 3.47 trillion came from administrative fines in the forestry sector, while Rp 1.53 trillion represented non-tax state revenue collected by the Attorney General's Office from its handling of special crime cases.

The largest portion, Rp 8.23 trillion, came from tax payments collected from taxpayers as a follow-up to the work of the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force.

“We reaffirm the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force's commitment to ensuring that every result of forest-area enforcement can be transparently accounted for and provide tangible benefits to the state,” Burhanuddin said.

Stacks of Rp 100,000 banknotes were displayed prominently inside the Attorney General's Office during the ceremony as a symbolic representation of the money being returned to the state treasury.

More Than 6.2 Million Hectares Reclaimed
The task force has also brought more than 6.22 million hectares of forest areas under state control from plantation and mining operations.

Authorities have reclaimed 6.206 million hectares from the plantation sector and another 14,633.79 hectares from mining operations, according to figures presented Tuesday.

The Forest Area Enforcement Task Force was established under Prabowo's administration to address unauthorized occupation and commercial use of designated forest areas.

As part of the latest, eighth phase of the enforcement program, the government on Tuesday transferred 259,230.73 hectares of recovered forest areas for further management.

Of that amount, 140,762.04 hectares from plantation operations were transferred to the Forestry Ministry for management by state-owned Agrinas Palma Nusantara.

Another 118,256.74 hectares of conservation and protected forests were transferred to the ministry for reforestation and restoration, while 211.95 hectares recovered from mining operations were also returned to the ministry.

Burhanuddin called for public support in overseeing the government's forest enforcement drive.

“We cannot work alone. The greatest strength of law enforcement lies in public support,” he said.

“We therefore invite all elements of society to stand together with the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force, because protecting and defending our forests and natural resources means protecting an inheritance for our children and grandchildren.”

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