The Republic of Indonesia officially revoked the mining business permits (IUP) of four nickel companies operating in the Raja Ampat UNESCO Geopark, West Papua Province, on June 10, 2025. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia announced this decision in Jakarta following a field verification team's findings of administrative violations and the risk of coral reef damage caused by sedimentation.
The four companies whose permits were revoked are PT Nurham, PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining, PT Anugerah Surya Pratama, and PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa. These companies failed to obtain production quotas because they did not fully submit the required Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) documents, and their waste management procedures did not meet national standards.
Meanwhile, PT Gag Nikel—a subsidiary of the state-owned enterprise Aneka Tambang—maintained its permit since it operates outside the geopark zone and has complied with technical requirements.
This move followed protests from Greenpeace Indonesia and Papuan youth, who highlighted threats to 75 percent of the world’s coral species residing in Raja Ampat. President Prabowo Subianto instructed that operations of PT Gag Nikel be closely monitored to ensure environmental compliance. The government emphasized that this decision seeks to balance economic growth with the conservation of the nation’s marine heritage.
Raja Ampat is renowned as a premier international diving destination with the highest marine biodiversity in the world. With the largest nickel reserves globally and soaring demand fueled by electric vehicle battery production, Indonesia strives to uphold sustainability principles to prevent long-term ecological damage.
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