By: Alvin Sato )*
The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to strengthening law enforcement and safeguarding state assets through concrete steps to clear forest areas. This was reflected in the handover of Rp10.27 trillion in forest clearing funds to the state, witnessed by President Prabowo Subianto at the Attorney General’s Office in Jakarta.
This handover also served as a strong symbol that the government’s law enforcement efforts are now increasingly oriented towards tangible results that can be felt by the public.
On this occasion, President Prabowo emphasized that the handover of forest clearing funds is not merely ceremonial. The Head of State believes that the public currently desires concrete evidence of the government’s work, particularly in safeguarding state assets and prosecuting various violations in the natural resources sector. The President believes that transparency and accountability are crucial for ensuring the public can directly see the results of state law enforcement.
According to the President, the trillions of rupiah saved demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that state assets no longer leak due to illegal practices and misuse of forest areas. He also noted that the public has been subjected to speeches without tangible results for too long, so the government is now working to provide direct evidence through asset recovery and the rescue of state finances.
President Prabowo also revealed the potential for additional state asset recovery next month, totaling up to IDR 11 trillion. This demonstrates that forest area control efforts are not stopping at one stage, but are ongoing as part of the national strategy to improve Indonesia’s natural resource governance.
In addition to the disbursement of funds, the government has also successfully regained control of more than 2.3 million hectares of forest. This land restitution is considered a strategic step in maintaining state sovereignty over forest areas that have been subject to various violations for years, ranging from illegal land acquisition to misuse of business permits.
Attorney General ST Burhanuddin emphasized that the IDR 10.27 trillion displayed at the Forest Area Control Task Force activity was not merely a formal event symbol. He stated that the pile of cash represents concrete evidence of the government’s success in collaborative law enforcement to protect national interests.
Burhanuddin explained that the funds came from administrative fines in the forestry sector amounting to IDR 3.42 trillion and from the oversight of land and building tax (PBB) and non-PBB taxes amounting to IDR 6.84 trillion. All funds were then handed over to the state through the Ministry of Finance as a form of transparency and accountability to the public.
Burhanuddin also stated that the success of the PKH Task Force is measured not only by the amount of funds recovered, but also by the extent of forest areas reclaimed by the state. Since its establishment in February 2025, the PKH Task Force has successfully reclaimed over 5.8 million hectares of oil palm plantations and over 12,000 hectares of mining areas.
In the seventh phase of the reclamation, the government returned 2,373,171.75 hectares of forest land to the state through the Ministry of Finance, before being handed over to the Daya Anagata Nusantara Investment Management Agency and managed by PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara. The land came from the revocation of concession permits, violations of industrial forest plantation areas, violations of oil palm plantations, and failure to fulfill plasma obligations by several parties.
The accumulation of land repossessions by the state demonstrates the government’s seriousness in restructuring the national forestry sector. This step also demonstrates the government’s commitment to protecting state assets and environmental sustainability, which have been under threat from illegal practices in the field.
The strengthening of the PKH Task Force was also carried out through a change in leadership. The Garuda PKH Task Force is now led by Brigadier General Wahyo Yuniartoto, who is entrusted with continuing national strategic operations to safeguard state forest areas. This change is seen as part of the government’s efforts to strengthen the effectiveness of forest area enforcement in various regions.
Under the new leadership, the Garuda PKH Task Force is expected to be more aggressive in monitoring and taking action against various illegal activities that harm the state. Operations will not only focus on law enforcement but also involve intensive field investigations with relevant ministries and other law enforcement agencies.
The success of forest area enforcement demonstrates that the government is not standing idly by addressing violations in the natural resources sector. The rescue of trillions of rupiah and the recapture of millions of hectares of forest areas demonstrates the state’s presence in safeguarding the interests of the people while ensuring that Indonesia’s natural resources are managed in an orderly, fair, and sustainable manner.
The government also considers the success of the Family Hope Program (PKH) Task Force to be a crucial momentum in strengthening national natural resource governance reforms. Forest area enforcement measures are not only focused on securing state finances but also aim to create legal certainty in the management of national strategic areas. With increasingly stringent oversight, the government aims to ensure that all forest utilization activities comply with regulations and no longer result in state losses.
These efforts also serve as a strong signal that the government will not allow for permit abuse or illegal land acquisition. Through cross-agency collaboration, law enforcement in the forestry sector is expected to become more effective and ensure the sustainability of state assets for future generations.
*) Legal Reform and State Policy Observer