PT Bumi Suksesindo (BSI), a subsidiary of PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk, handed over the final portion of compensation land reforestation in Sukabumi, West Java, spanning 69.62 hectares to the government. Adi Adriansyah Sjoekri, President Director of BSI, officially handed over the land to the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Forest Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta on November 27, 2023.
This handover completes BSI’s compensation land obligation with a total area of 1,990.79 hectares, surpassing the obligation of 1,985.72 hectares, making it the largest compensation land handed over by a private institution to the government.
The compensation land was allocated by BSI following the government’s issuance of a 992.86-hectare Forest Area Borrowing Permit (IPPKH) for the operations of Tujuh Bukit Gold Mine in the Tujuh Bukit Pesanggaran area of Banyuwangi. As per regulations, the company was required to reforest compensation land with diverse vegetation. For Java Island, the required compensation land area is twice the size of the IPPKH area. The land handover was contingent upon successful plant growth, with a minimum 75% success rate. The BSI compensation land is divided into two locations, Bondowoso, East Java, and Sukabumi, West Java, and has been handed over in stages since July 12, 2020.
BSI’s success in managing and handing over compensation land has received high appreciation from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry. BSI received an award as an Inspirational Private Company for Reforestation and Compensation Land in 2019 and was the first mining company to hand over compensatory land on Java Island in 2020.
In managing the compensatory land, BSI involved the local community as workers in planting and maintaining reforestation plants. Throughout the management of the compensatory land, BSI also contributed to the surrounding community through basic food assistance, sacrificial animals, the construction of public facilities and drilled wells, and emergency disaster response.
“BSI always prioritizes environmental management by government regulations. The success of reforesting compensation land is clear evidence of our seriousness in environmental management,” said Adi. “We are proud to be able to achieve the targets set by the government within the specified time.”
Based on plant growth percentages, BSI’s reforestation efforts achieved 100% success in Bondowoso and 86% in Sukabumi, thus declaring overall success. The assessment was conducted by a joint team from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Forestry Service, and Perhutani.
“The rehabilitation efforts we’ve undertaken contribute to reducing deforestation rates in Indonesia,” said Ir. Dyah Murtiningsih, M.Hum, Director General of Watershed Control and Forest Rehabilitation of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, during the Exposure Meeting of Assessment Results and Handover of Planting Results in the Context of Watershed Rehabilitation and Reforestation on Compensated Land.
The management and handover of BSI compensation land reaffirm the sustainability commitment of PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk, which has the highest ESG rating in Indonesia in the MSCI Diversified Metals and Mining category. Apart from excelling in environmental performance, Merdeka remains committed to sustainable social programs and good corporate governance.
