Why Indonesia Is Reassessing the Martabe Mine Permit Amid Violation Probe

12 hours ago 3

February 12, 2026 | 04:29 pm

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said President Prabowo Subianto has instructed the government to act proportionally toward companies whose mining permits are currently under review, including the Martabe gold mine in North Sumatra operated by PT Agincourt Resources (PTAR).

Speaking after a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Bahlil said the President emphasized fairness in handling alleged violations.

“Earlier, the President directed that we conduct a thorough review. If there are no violations, we must restore the investors’ rights. If violations are confirmed, then the sanctions must be proportional,” Bahlil said, as quoted by Antara.

He said the reassessment is aimed at ensuring legal certainty for investors while maintaining economic growth, particularly in Sumatra.

“At the same time, we want to safeguard development and economic growth in the Sumatra region,” he added.

Bahlil stressed that the government has not officially revoked the Mining Business Permit (IUP) for the Martabe gold mine. The permit remains under evaluation.

“We are currently evaluating and reorganizing. We are cross-checking from the mining side. Yesterday, I also discussed this with Environment Minister Hanif, and he is also conducting a review,” Bahlil said. “God willing, it will be completed soon, and I believe everything will be fine.”

He reiterated that if the reassessment finds no violations, the government will ensure the company’s rights are upheld.

“If they are not guilty, then there is no need to pursue the matter further. If they are not at fault, we will restore what is rightfully theirs,” he said, adding that the government is obligated to provide business certainty for investors.

The issue stems from an announcement by the Forest Area Management Task Force (Satgas PKH), which on January 20, 2026 said it had revoked permits for 28 companies over alleged violations. The list included Agincourt, the operator of the Martabe gold mine.

At the time, State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi said the revocations were based on environmental audits conducted in response to flash floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.

Days later, Dony Oskaria, head of the State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Regulatory Agency and chief operating officer of sovereign wealth fund Danantara, said operations at the Martabe gold mine could potentially be taken over by Perminas, a newly established SOE tasked with managing Indonesia’s domestic mineral industry.

Read: Martabe Gold Mine Permit Could Be Restored, Says Indonesia's Energy Minister

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