6 Million Tons of Gold Still Buried in the Soil of Pohuwato, Indonesia

Artisanal miners began to open up to joining cooperatives. The Pohuwato government was also generous in granting Mining Business Permits (IUPs), alongside mining areas already managed by IUP-holding investors, who controlled between 5,000 and 10,000 hectares.

One of the beneficiaries of this populist policy was the Dharma Tani Marisa Village Cooperative (KUD). This KUD obtained a gold mining permit (IUP) for 100 hectares, enabling it to undertake "corporate activities," specifically exploration at 20 locations.

As a result of this struggle, the KUD Darma Tani management split into two camps: Lisna Al Amri, the new KUD Darma Tani Chairperson, and Abdul Kadir Akib's KUD Darma Tani management.

Lisna Al Amri claimed to be the legitimate Chairperson of the Darma Tani Cooperative (KUD), democratically elected through a special members' meeting held on April 22, 2014.

Two years later, the Darma Tani Marisa Cooperative held an Extraordinary Members' Meeting (RA-LUB) in 2016, which elected Uns Mbuinga as its Chairperson. Several years later, the KUD held an internal meeting, during which it agreed to appoint Idris Kadji as the next Chairperson.

In 2022, the dual role of the KUD was reiterated for control of the 100-hectare gold mining permit (IUP). The Darma Tani Marisa Cooperative's management, Idris Kadji, was elected at the annual meeting.

Furthermore, Zuriati Usman, who claimed to be the Chairperson of the Darma Tani Marisa Producer KUD, claimed this issue had an impact on miners who had been exploring Mount Pani for decades. In 2022, exploration of Mount Pani began, led by PT Puncak Emas Gorontalo (PEG) to manage the mine.

This project, named the Pani Gold Project, is jointly managed by PT Pani Bersama Jaya (PBJ), PT Pani Bersama Tambang, PT Puncak Emas Gorontalo, PT Puncak Emas Tani Sejahtera, and PT Gorontalo Sejahtera Mining. PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk owns a 70 percent stake in PBJ.

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The gold mine in Pohuwato is in the early stages of construction and exploration, and the company estimates that gold mining will begin in 2025 and last for the next 30 years.

The company is led by Boyke Poerbaya Abidin, Chief External Officer at PT Merdeka Copper Gold Tbk. Garibaldi Thohir owns a 7.358 percent stake in the company.

Meanwhile, PT Saratoga Investama Sedaya Tbk, owned by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf), Sandiaga Uno, owns an 18.569 percent stake.

The Pohuwato Regency Government previously conducted outreach regarding the Community Mining Area (WPR), as stipulated in the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Decree Number 98.K/MB.01/MEM.B/2022.

The Ministerial Decree lists 21 mining delineation points (blocks/locations) spread across several sub-districts throughout Pohuwato Regency.

 

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