INTERNATIONAL, RBTVDISWAY.ID - Pohuwato Regency, a region in the far west of Gorontalo Province, is rich in natural resources, including fisheries, agriculture, and abundant gold deposits.
Here's some information about the gold mine in Pohuwato, Gorontalo. Mount Pani in Pohuwato has gold reserves of over 6 million ounces.
It's no wonder this area has been contested since the Dutch era. Historical records indicate the Mount Pani gold mine in Pohuwato dates back to 1898.
At that time, local residents competed with the Dutch. The Dutch then took control of the mining block, a mining company called "Exploratie Syndicaat Pagoeat," which controlled two mining blocks: Bumbulan (Mount Pani) and Molosifat (Popayato Serumpun).
By the "Exploratie Syndicaat Pagoeat," a company under the umbrella of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).
In fact, one piece of evidence of the Pohuwato mine's existence dates back to colonial times. One of the regulations stipulated that the Dutch colonial government, as the ruler of Pagoeat (Pohuwato), required the Dutch to pay tribute in gold to the Dutch through the Controleur, Jogugu, and Marsaoleh appointed by the Dutch government.
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After the Dutch took control of the mining area, it was eventually passed on to the local community, leading to the formation of a village around Mount Pani, namely Hulawa Village, Buntulia District, Pohuwato Regency. Hulawa means gold in the Gorontalo language.
Furthermore, to maintain divisions within the local community, in the 1980s, the mining community formed the Dharma Tani Marisa Village Unit Cooperative (KUD).
In 1987, the local community made Mount Pani their livelihood. By 1988, many people were mining at the site, prompting the Regent of Gorontalo, North Sulawesi Province, to assist the Marisa community by issuing a yellow card.
Six months later, the miners gathered under the leadership of their group leader, Hasan Bouti, to work on obtaining a legal mining permit to avoid accusations of stealing their ancestral heritage.
The miners were united in 1989 under the KUD (Community Business Unit), whereas in 1982, the Darma Tani KUD had only two subsidiaries: agriculture and fisheries.
After the Darma Tani KUD gave birth to its youngest child, a miner, they felt a sense of new life. In 1990, they began applying for a mining permit, which was then officially granted by the Regent of Gorontalo, North Sulawesi Province, and in 1994, an exploration permit for Mount Pani was issued.
At that time, yellow, blue, and white cards were issued to ancestors and heirs in Marisa. From then on, they contributed Rp 25,000 per month as a commitment to regional development.
As time went on, from 1994 to 2002, the suspension of exploitation permits occurred, meaning our miners were more compliant with the administration to avoid accusations of theft.