Forestry Ministry will Revoke 20 Major Forest Permits Amid Sumatra Flood Aftermath

Jakarta: The Forestry Minister, Raja Juli Antoni, stated that the Forestry Ministry will revoke 20 Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBPH) covering an area of 750,000 hectares, including in flood-affected areas in Sumatra.

In a confirmed statement from Jakarta on Friday, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni stated that the ministry had revoked 18 PBPH permits covering 526,144 hectares in February 2025, in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto's directive.

"The Forestry Ministry will revoke permits for approximately 20 under-performing PBPH permits covering approximately 750,000 hectares throughout Indonesia, including in three provinces affected by floods," Raja Juli said, quoted from Antara, Friday, 5 December 2025.

"I will also impose a moratorium on new PBPH permits for natural forests and plantation forests," Raja Juli added.

Regarding the large number of logs swept away by floods and landslides in Sumatra, the minister stated that he would conduct an investigation and evaluation of the incident. The ministry is also collaborating with the National Police to investigate and enforce the law related to the findings.

Antoni explained that the ministry already has preliminary data from drone scans at several affected locations and is using the Automatic Wood Identification Tool (AIKO) software to identify the types of logs carried away by the floods.

"We have responded to the public’s questions regarding the origin of the logs. We have preliminary data from drone flights in the affected areas and are using AIKO software to identify the wood types and reconstruct their origins," Raja Juli said.