JAKARTA: Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Monday (Aug 24) ordered the revocation of business permits of firms suspected of ordering forest and land burning.
The order came as haze from fires in Indonesia spread to neighbouring countries including Malaysia and Singapore.
“Any corporation, whoever they are, if there is even the slightest indication they ordered the burning, we will revoke their licences,” he said while leading a coordination meeting on forest and land fire management in Riau.
“We will revoke all of the corporations’ permits. I am not playing around,” he said, as quoted by state news agency Antara.
Prabowo also called on authorities to prevent individuals from deliberately setting fires for any reason.
He added that public education should be strengthened, particularly in villages, so that communities understand that land burning is prohibited, Antara reported.
Those who need to clear land should seek government assistance instead of burning it, he said. Local governments, the Indonesian military and the National Police could help organise land clearing through farmer groups, he added.
“If they need to clear land, they should report it to the sub-district head or regent, and the government will help them,” Prabowo said.
Prabowo also visited Palembang on Monday, where he ordered authorities to act immediately when forest and land fires emerge.
“Don’t wait until it becomes a hotspot. Please go directly to those hotspots … Water sources can be drilled in those areas,” Prabowo said, as reported by Jakarta Globe.
He called for the construction of boreholes in fire-prone areas to ensure water is available for rapid firefighting and urged enforcement of the law.
The Indonesian government is also doing satellite-based hotspot monitoring, deploying helicopters for water bombing and conducting weather modification operations to encourage rainfall in fire-affected areas.
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