Bangka Belitung (BERITAPOLITIK.ONLINE) — President Joko Widodo’s promise during a closed-door meeting in 2015 to legalize small-scale mining in Bangka Belitung is now under scrutiny. Contrary to the promise, small-scale miners find themselves pursued and apprehended, diverging from the initial expectations.
During the meeting, President Jokowi emphasized that “mining production must remain high, but it should not sacrifice conversion forests.” However, the current situation indicates otherwise.
Small-scale miners, including former executives of PT Timah during the 2015-2022 period and several smelter entrepreneurs, are now facing legal charges. They are accused of involvement in the illegal purchase of tin from PT Timah’s mining permit (IUP), which was then smelted by private smelters and repurchased by PT Timah.
Although allegations suggest corruption in this process, the Attorney General’s Office has yet to announce the exact amount of losses. However, based on the ecological damage assessment by environmental expert Bambang Hero Saharjo from IPB University, the losses amount to Rp 271 trillion, the largest in the history of corruption investigations in Indonesia.
Elly Rebuin, an environmental activist and Founder of the Bangka Belitung Nature Rehabilitation Foundation, questions the method used in calculating these losses. According to her, “environmental damage in Bangka Belitung is not a new phenomenon but has occurred since the 18th century, long before the PT Timah cooperation period from 2015-2022.”
The Vice Chairman of the Environmental Affairs Division of the Bangka Belitung Farmers Association (HKTI) also highlights the positive aspects of tin mining activities, emphasizing that the economic benefits for the government, society, and business world should also be considered.
Elly also questions who the Attorney General’s Office accuses of causing destruction. If it is addressed to small-scale miners, they generally mine on their own land, even without IUP.
“They have been mining before PT Timah and smelters were established,” she explains.
Furthermore, Elly questions why the reclamation guarantee money already paid by PT Timah and smelters to the state is not taken into consideration by the Attorney General’s Office.
Elly argues that miners operate in unclear commercial conditions, leading to chaos.
The cooperation with PT Timah from late 2018 to 2020, where the results of small-scale mining were collected by PT Timah, compensated, and smelted at private smelters, and then the metal was sent to PT Timah, according to Elly, is the most appropriate scheme.
“The chaotic results return to the country through PT Timah, small-scale miners continue to work, and the economy of Bangka Belitung continues to thrive,” Elly explains.
Meanwhile, Rudi Syahwani from the Indonesian Mineral Sand Mining and Processing Association (Atomindo) highlights the difficulties faced by communities in obtaining mining permits (IUP) due to complex bureaucracy. This encourages people to mine tin on their own land, even without an IUP.
“In the end, the community mines tin on their own land. Indeed, according to the rules, this is not allowed because they do not have an IUP. But the people say, ‘this is my land, I have an official Land Ownership Certificate (SHM) from the state, so it’s allowed,’ and this has been happening for decades,” says Rudi, on Wednesday (March 17, 2024).
This is the problem; there needs to be regulatory revisions that facilitate this. If communities are prohibited from mining, even though it’s on their own land, and this activity existed before PT Timah and private companies were present in their area.
“It’s strange if the community is the one sacrificed,” says Rudi.
This situation also leads to waves of layoffs and an increase in crime in Bangka Belitung. When jobs become difficult to find, the potential for crime increases.
The Bangka Belitung Provincial Government acknowledges the negative impacts of this situation, particularly in terms of employment and the rise in crime. They emphasize the importance of all stakeholders working together to address these issues, including entrepreneurs who are expected to operate their businesses in accordance with applicable regulations.
With these various challenges, it is hoped that the steps taken can bring positive changes for the people of Bangka Belitung and ensure the sustainability of the environment and economy in the region.
