Jakarta. Anti-graft commission KPK recently revealed that the agency had detected data discrepancy in mining permits after consulting with several ministries and government agencies.

KPK has been reviewing mining permits across the archipelago after the presence of mines in the environmentally sensitive region of Raja Ampat made headlines. According to KPK’s senior official Dian Patria, the agency started by taking a look at the mining permits in Indonesia’s small islands. The Energy Ministry’s data showed that there were 246 mining permits in small islands, far less than the 372 that the Fishery Ministry had reported.

“So there are differences. That shows how the ministries are not talking with one another. We understand, because perhaps, within KPK, there is some sectoral ego,” Dian told the press in Jakarta on Tuesday, as reported by the state news agency Antara.

The data discrepancy prompted KPK to act as a “bridge” between the ministries. Making sure everyone is on the same page is key in deciding on the right sanctions to take against the rule-breaking permit holders.

“Of course we should impose sanctions if there is clearly a violation. … Should it be administrative sanctions? Environmental crime? Tax problems? If there is corruption, that’s for us, the KPK, to handle,” Dian said.

In June 2025, the government revoked the mining permits of four companies in Raja Ampat. They were Anugerah Surya Pratama, Nurham, Mulia Raymond Perkasa, and Kawei Sejahtera Mining. However, Dian claimed that KPK had yet to find a decree that proves that their permits had been revoked. The agency also revealed that the ministries continued to shift the responsibility onto others.

“But frankly to this day, we have not seen the revocation decree. … We tried asking the minerals agency at the Energy Ministry, but they said the document was already at the Investment Ministry who claimed that they had not received the letter,” Dian said.

“Is the government really serious about revoking the permits? But we have not seen such a document."