CNN Indonesia
Saturday, 25 March 2023 15:40 WIB
Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD recounted the success of liberating 126 coal ships belonging to domestic businessmen from the mining mafia. (Photo: Doc. Humas Polhukam)
Jakarta, CNNIndonesia —
Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD recounts the moments of success in freeing 126 ships coal owned by domestic entrepreneurs from the mining mafia. This step was carried out with the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif.
According to him, the release was carried out after there were reports from businessmen who wanted to export their coal to Hong Kong but were constrained because there were detentions and they were asked to pay money if they wanted to be released.
“Then (after receiving a report from the businessman), I called Mr. Arifin that the ship was detained, then Mr. Arifin asked for the ship number and I sent it. In the afternoon the person who reported to me came and thanked him,” said Mahfud in a written statement, quoted on Saturday ( 25/3).
“It turned out that it was not only his (businessman’s) ship that reported it, but there were 126 other ships that were also released and asked for money. Luckily, Mr. Arifin intervened and the detention situation was part of the regional administration’s mining mafia,” he added.
Potential loss of billions of rupiah
Mahfud said from the ship owner’s report, if it was not released on the same day, it would suffer losses of up to tens of billions of rupiah. This is because his party is considered to have violated the contract due to the coal not arriving at its destination on time.
Mahfud reiterated that the government already has strict rules and policies for concrete cases, such as the detention of this coal ship. However, he acknowledged that sometimes corruption still occurs and this does not change.
Related to this, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif said the government is currently making improvements to the working pattern for the mining business. The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources itself has made a list of inputs stakeholderacademics, parliament to overcome mafia problems in this mining sector.
“I always communicate with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs to get it re-enforcement. We set a one-map policy so that there are no more overlapping issues regarding permits, we will pull it to the center and many of which will eventually enter the realm of law,” he concluded.
(lid/as)
