Indonesia's Bold Move: Land Seizures from Environmental Violators

Danantara Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund will take over land from 28 companies in Sumatra due to environmental breaches linked to floods. President Prabowo Subianto revoked these firms' business permits. There's a comprehensive plan to mitigate impacts on communities, covering multiple sectors including forestry and oil palm.

In a move spearheaded by Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, Danantara Indonesia is set to assume control over land previously belonging to 28 companies implicated in environmental violations. According to a statement from the country's forestry task force, these lands are linked to catastrophic floods and landslides in Sumatra.

President Prabowo Subianto recently revoked the operating permits of these firms, alleging significant breaches that aggravated last year's deadly floods. Task force spokesperson Barita Simanjuntak assured a thorough process to reduce the impact on workers and local communities.

The affected companies span various sectors, including forestry, oil palm, cocoa, power, and mining. Notably, Toba Pulp Lestari, a pulp manufacturer, pledged cooperation with the government despite no formal notice of permit revocation. The government plans to take over approximately 1 million hectares from these entities.

(With inputs from agencies.)