Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has launched a large-scale campaign to strengthen state control over natural resources. Over the past nine months, the government has confiscated more than 4 million hectares of land – plantations and mining concessions – an area equivalent to Switzerland. This was reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
Details
To implement this project, the president created a Special Group led by Defense Minister Safri Samsuddin. A significant portion of the seized assets was transferred to the state-owned company Agrinas Palma Nusantara, whose leadership positions are held by retired military officers. Thanks to the confiscations, this company became the largest player in the global palm oil market in a matter of months.
This is just the beginning. We are on the right and noble path of protecting the interests of millions of Indonesians.
Economic and environmental consequences
Official Jakarta justifies such steps by fighting corruption among the elites and the need to protect forests. The campaign intensified against the backdrop of devastating floods in Sumatra, which claimed more than 1,000 lives and were caused by massive deforestation.
However, analysts warn of risks to global markets, as Indonesia is the largest exporter of coal, nickel, and palm oil. Experts from the Center for Economic and Legal Studies (CELIOS) note that "Prabowo-style command economy" and methods of forced land expropriation could deter foreign investors. Farmers whose lands were deemed illegally seized forest areas, despite having previously issued permits, also came under pressure.