Government conducts comprehensive review of Martabe gold mine project

By Calvin Purba

The government is conducting a comprehensive review of the sustainability of the Martabe gold mine project, covering the fulfillment of corporate obligations, environmental compliance, and business and legal certainty, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Yuliot Tanjung said on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Yuliot said the review is being carried out in coordination with the Directorate General of Minerals and Coal and involves all relevant stakeholders.

“I held a meeting with the Director General of Minerals and Coal to discuss the evaluation process. This is a holistic review, including whether the company has fulfilled all of its obligations,” Yuliot said.

He said the assessment also focuses on environmental compliance, noting that earlier evaluations had been conducted by the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH) following a series of floods and landslides in Sumatra late last year.

“From the environmental side, assessments have already been carried out by the task force. The government is now reassessing what environmental obligations must be fulfilled by the company and whether those obligations have been met,” he said.

According to Yuliot, the government will prepare an evaluation matrix to map overall compliance, which will serve as the basis for decisions on the future of the Martabe project.

“This matrix will provide a comprehensive picture of obligation fulfillment and will form the basis for decisions regarding the continuity of the Martabe project,” he said.

Read also: Danantara to hand Martabe gold mine to newly formed Perminas

Yuliot stressed that any decision on the continuation of mining activities would be made in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations, while prioritizing environmental protection.

“Whoever continues the project, the decision must comply with existing regulations and ensure environmental safeguards,” he said.

The review follows a civil lawsuit filed earlier this month by the Ministry of Environment (KLH) against PT Agincourt Resources, the current operator of the Martabe mine, seeking Rp200.99 billion (about US$13 million) in compensation for alleged environmental damage. The lawsuit, filed at the South Jakarta District Court on Jan. 20, also seeks Rp25.24 billion for environmental restoration.

Agincourt operates the Martabe gold mine in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra. Authorities said late last year that the company’s operating licence was revoked after alleged violations were linked to environmental damage caused by deadly floods and landslides in parts of Sumatra. Agincourt is a subsidiary of PT United Tractors Tbk, part of the Astra Group.

Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund Danantara has said it will take over the Martabe gold mine, with management to be transferred to a newly established state entity, Perusahaan Mineral Nasional (Perminas), which will operate under Danantara rather than state-owned mining holding company MIND ID or its subsidiary PT Aneka Tambang Tbk.

Yuliot said the evaluation is aimed at ensuring both business and legal certainty, including identifying areas that require improvement before any final decisions are made.

“This is a joint evaluation. The government’s position is to ensure business certainty as well as legal certainty,” he said. “That is why this comprehensive review is being carried out.”

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak