ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – Efforts by local communities and environmental activists to protect Raja Ampat from nickel mining appear to have been entirely futile.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) announced it will proceed with reinstating the operating permit for PT Gag Nickel following the completion of an environmental audit conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLH).
Tri Winarno, Director General of Minerals and Coal at ESDM, said the Gag Nickel mine, located on Gag Island in Raja Ampat Regency, currently operates under a limited permit solely for environmental audit purposes. Once the audit is complete, the full operating license will be reinstated.
“Yes, it will be processed. In principle, operations could already resume, but under a trial scheme to monitor environmental compliance,” Tri said in Jakarta on Monday, January 26, 2026.
The mine had been temporarily suspended since June 5, 2025, for environmental evaluation. Despite widespread public protests, Gag Nickel remains the only nickel company in Raja Ampat whose permit has not been revoked, highlighting the government’s prioritization of economic and investment interests over environmental and community concerns.
Deputy Minister Yuliot Tanjung previously indicated that the mine’s environmental management was satisfactory following an on-site assessment by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), signaling that operations would likely resume.
Meanwhile, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq confirmed that the environmental audit identified several deficiencies that require immediate corrective action.
The company, a subsidiary of PT Aneka Tambang Tbk (ANTM), was fined and instructed to revise its environmental approval documents in accordance with recommendations from independent auditors, assisted by a team of appointed academics to ensure objectivity.
“We are overhauling the Environmental Approval to comply with the auditor’s recommendations. The process is independent, but we provide oversight through appointed academics,” Hanif said at the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta on Monday, January 26, 2026.
Hanif emphasized that the mine will not be closed and is allowed to operate while updating its environmental compliance documents. Oversight has been intensified, with independent environmental inspectors scheduled to monitor compliance every three months.
Gag Nickel holds a contract of work (KK) valid until 2047, with an approved Work Plan and Budget (RKAB) to produce up to 3 million wet metric tons of nickel.
This situation raises a critical question: have the efforts of local communities and environmental activists had any real impact, or have their protests been purely symbolic and ultimately futile, leaving Raja Ampat increasingly exposed to mining activities? (AT Network)
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