Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said Thursday that authorities have identified 12 companies suspected of contributing to the hydrometeorological disasters that devastated three Sumatran provinces.Antoni told lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing that the government will take swift action against the firms, some of which operate in the Batang Toru region, after early findings showed signs of legal violations.
He said the ministry’s law enforcement unit is still finalizing the list of entities linked to the flash floods and landslides that struck Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
Under President Prabowo Subianto’s directive, the ministry plans to revoke about 20 forest-use permits covering roughly 750 hectares, Antoni said.
The ministry previously revoked 18 permits spanning about 526,144 hectares.
Baca juga: Govt pushes carbon scheme to restore 12 million hectares critical land
The names of the companies and the size of their concessions will be disclosed once President Prabowo signs off on the revocations, he added.
Antoni said the ministry is also working with national police to trace the source of logs swept downstream during the floods.
“If we find any criminal violations, we will pursue firm legal action,” he said.
Baca juga: Riau's waterbombing helicopter extinguishes 3 forest fires in Riau
The minister said his office has used drones to inspect the river routes taken by the logs.
Officials also deployed the Automatic Log Identification Tool (AIKO) to examine the wood’s physical characteristics and identify possible signs of human interference.
Antoni said the investigation aims to provide the public with accurate, transparent information about the causes of the disasters.
