Illegal miners can apply for legal status

By Samantha

Mining companies which at present operate illegally without permits in forest areas may be able to obtain a legal status following the issuance of the government regulation No. 61, 2012.

The government regulation which contains some revisions of the government regulation No 24, 2010 was signed by President Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono in July 2012.

?Based on the new regulation, companies which have operated in forest areas can obtain a forest lease permit,? Bambang Soepianto, the director general of forestry planology told Petromindo.com.

In order to be able to get a lease permit, miners should have a mining permit issued by the local government based on the provincial and regency-level spatial planning made before the issuance of the Law No, 26/2007 on spatial planning.

"If the mining permit was issued under the spatial planning before 2007, but the area is included as forest areas under the law No.41/1999 on forests, a lease permit could be given," Bambang said.

He, however, said that the lease permit would be given only to those operating on productive forests, not protected forests. Bambang said the miners can obtain a legal status within six months after the issuance of the regulation, while the forestry ministry will have six months to process the permit.

Editing by Adianto P. Simamora