Indonesia suspends operations of more than 1,000 miners

The Southeast Asian country has been seeking to improve the oversight of its rich resources sector and President Joko Widodo last month revoked the permits of more than 2,000 companies due to poor compliance.

Sony Heru Prasetyo, an official at the minerals and coal directorate, said on Friday that before the temporary suspension of operations was imposed the companies had been given a warning but had failed to submit their 2022 work plans.

The document, which was verified by Sony, showed the suspended miners included around 80 coal companies, more than a dozen tin miners and several nickel miners. Three bauxite miners in West Kalimantan were also suspended, as well as some gold and manganese companies.

The miners have 60 days to submit their 2022 work plans.

“If within that period the companies still have not submitted their work plan then they will be given a strict sanction of permit revocation,” Sony said.

The official said he did not have an estimate of how much the companies typically produced annually.

Indonesia is the world’s top exporter of thermal coal and a major producer of nickel metals, copper and refined tin.

The country rattled global energy markets in January when it banned exports of coal to shore up supply for domestic power generators.