(Dec 24): Indonesia has seized more than four million hectares of land it says was used illegally for mining, palm oil and forestry activities, meeting a target issued earlier this month as the government cracks down on illegal resource extraction.
The figures were announced by Attorney General ST Burhanuddin at a land handover ceremony in Jakarta on Wednesday. The plantations taken are valued at more than 150 trillion rupiah (US$8.9 billion or $11 billion), according to data provided by the government.
The seizures are a result of President Prabowo Subianto’s push to tighten oversight of the country’s natural-resource industries, thereby boosting profits to the state from lucrative industries like mining and plantations. The moves are also part of Indonesia’s broader efforts to strengthen governance in sectors that play a key role in the economy, including addressing environmental and legal risks.
“I’m happy today,” Prabowo said at the event. “Despite the workload still being heavy, I have a strong instinct that in 2026 we’ll take much bolder steps.”
The government has transferred control of more than 2.4 million hectares to relevant ministries and state entities, including 1.7 million hectares of palm oil plantations to state-owned firm PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara. More than 700,000 hectares are also slated for ecosystem restoration and reforestation, Burhanuddin said.
Authorities have collected 2.3 trillion rupiah in land-use fines, while the Attorney General’s Office has secured an additional 4.3 trillion rupiah in recovered state funds linked to corruption cases in the natural-resources sector.
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