December 6, 2025 | 01:58 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Trend Asia has stated that the disappearance of millions of hectares of forest in Sumatra is linked to the issuance of forest use permits over the past decade. This finding was released amid the Sumatra floods in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra, which claimed the lives of nearly 900 people.
Campaign Manager for Bioenergy at Trend Asia, Amalya Reza, explained that Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra have lost natural forests of 3,678,411 hectares during the 10 years of former President Joko Widodo's administration.
North Sumatra recorded the largest deforestation, with 1,608,827 hectares of forests lost, followed by West Sumatra with 1,049,833 hectares, and Aceh with 1,019,749 hectares.
However, she said, the government tends to downplay the situation. "Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni boasted about the decline in deforestation rates in the disaster-hit areas over the past year. However, the decline does not compare to the growing deforestation trend that has occurred over the past decade. We are feeling he impact today," Reza said in a written statement on Friday, December 5, 2025.
Reza mentioned that there have been 31 Forest Utilization Business Permits (PBPH) issued in the three provinces, with a total area of 1,019,287 hectares. Of that total, North Sumatra recorded the most, with 15 permits covering 592,607 hectares.
The issuance of these permits also coincided with a significant growth in deforestation. Trend Asia recorded an increase in deforestation from 414,295 hectares in 2021 to 635,481 hectares in 2022, an increase of almost 54 percent within a year after the PBPH permits were issued.
Reza also linked the forest damage to the growing risk of floods and landslides in Sumatra. In a previous report published in collaboration with JATAM and Bersihkan Indonesia in 2021, the organization found 704 mining concessions located in flood-prone areas covering 1,491,263 hectares, as well as 187 other concessions in landslide-prone areas.
According to Reza, the ongoing disaster can't be attributed solely to extreme weather, but is an accumulation of policies that disregard ecosystem sustainability. The surge in extractive industry permits is a result of several government policies, such as the revision of the Mining Law and the Job Creation Law, which relax environmental requirements for investment convenience.
"The government must decisively seek the causes of ecological disasters by evaluating all permits and revoking permits from problematic companies that have been proven to violate regulations and trigger floods," Reza said.
Previously, the Ministry of Forestry stated that it is investigating the alleged involvement of 12 companies in the environmental damage that triggered the floods in Sumatra. Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni said the investigation is being conducted after indications of activities that have damaged forest areas and river basins.
"The Law Enforcement Team of the Ministry of Forestry is currently investigating legal subjects who are indicated to have contributed to the occurrence of floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra," said Raja Juli during the joint meeting with the House Commission IV (DPR) on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
From the initial investigation, he mentioned finding indications of violations in 12 locations involving companies in North Sumatra. Raja Juli assured that legal enforcement against the parties will be conducted soon.
"Our team is still on-site to deepen the findings and search for other legal subjects involved. We will later convey the complete results to Commission IV and the public," he said.
He explained that the massive floods that hit Sumatra were caused not only by extreme weather but also by damage to strategic environmental areas. According to him, the tropical cyclone Senyar worsened the conditions of the water catchment areas and river basins that were already damaged.
Below is the list of 31 latest Forest Utilization Business Permits issued in the three flood-hit provinces in Sumatra, as gathered by Trend Asia:
Aceh
- PT Multi Sibolga Timber (SK.1492/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 279.198892 hectares. - PT Gunung Raya Timber Utama (SK.1186/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 30.449094 hectares. - PT Rimba Wawasan Permai (SK.1494/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 6,171.977036 hectares. - PT Rimba Timur Sentosa (SK.1495/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 6,671.851864 hectares. - PT Tusam Hutani Lestari (SK.325/Menhut-II/2004)
Concession area: 85,430.1768 hectares. - PT Rencong Pulp & Paper Industry (SK.1138/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 8,972.779956 hectares. - PT Aceh Nusa Indrapuri (SK.1483/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 97,768.56594 hectares. - PD Pembangunan Tanoh Gayo (522.614/2014)
Concession area: 4,744.298956 hectares.
North Sumatra
- PT Multi Sibolga Timber (SK.1492/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 28,094.50183 hectares. - PT Barumun Raya Padang Langkat (SK.1089/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 14,812.83288 hectares. - PT Teluk Nauli (SK.1087/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 83,293.5089 hectares. - PT Gunung Raya Timber Utama (SK.1186/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 106,975.4667 hectares. - PT Tanaman Industri Lestari Simalungun (SK.337/Menhut-II/2014)
Concession area: 2,740.900649 hectares. - PT Sinar Belantara Indah (SK.1489/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 4,716.519553 hectares. - PT Hutan Barumun Perkasa (SK.1505/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 12,253.92209 hectares. - PT Putra Lika Perkasa (SK.1488/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 9,980.91198 hectares. - PT Sumatera Silva Lestari (SK.1490/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 1,081.801619 hectares. - PT Toba Pulp Lestari Tbk (SK.1487/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 168,041.5613 hectares. - PT Anugerah Rimba Makmur (SK.1486/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 49,412.22517 hectares. - PT Ultra Sumatera Dairi Farm (SK.605/Menhut-II/2011)
Concession area: 71.025887 hectares. - PT Sumatera Riang Lestari (SK.645/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.2/6/2022)
Concession area: 67,124.27698 hectares. - PT Panei Lika Sejahtera (SK.1060/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.2/10/2023)
Concession area: 12,273.00587 hectares.
West Sumatra
- PT Multikarya Lisun Prima (SK.773/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/9/2021)
Concession area: 26,747.48051 hectares. - PT Salaki Summa Sejahtera (SK.794/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/9/2021)
Concession area: 47,813.49466 hectares. - PT Minas Pagai Lumber (SK.781/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/9/2021)
Concession area: 78,231.09325 hectares. - PT Dhara Silva Lestari (SK.645/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.3/9/2021)
Concession area: 14,174.82867 hectares. - PT Sukses Jaya Wood (SK.1534/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/12/2021)
Concession area: 1,580.305688 hectares. - PT Bukit Raya Mudisa (SK.592/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.3/9/2021)
Concession area: 28,003.58224 hectares. - PT Biomass Andalan Energi (SK.593/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.3/9/2021)
Concession area: 19,737.03644 hectares. - PT Sipef Biodiversity Indonesia (SK.1094/MENLHK/SETJEN/HPL.0/11/2021)
Concession area: 324.049013 hectares.
Read: Forestry Minister to Revoke 20 Business Permits Amid Sumatra Flood Probe
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