The Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) is currently seeking investors to manage a coal mining concession spanning 25,000 to 26,000 hectares in East Kalimantan.
This comes after the religious organization obtained a special mining business permit (WIUPK) for the area.
PBNU Chairman Yahya Cholil Staquf stated that investors are needed to finance reclamation costs as a requirement for operating the mine.
"The government has regulations on this matter. Before we start, we are required to deposit a large reclamation guarantee, so we need to find investors who can help us fund this," Yahya said during a virtual press conference on Tuesday (January 7, 2025).
He explained that the reclamation guarantee fund will not be lost. The money will be deposited with the government and ultimately used to finance post-mining reclamation. According to him, this is a necessity to ensure the protection of the environment.
"It is automatically implemented. If it doesn’t proceed, it becomes a legal issue, as there is a legal obligation for reclamation, and it must be carried out," Yahya said.
To manage the coal mine, NU has also established PT BUMN, or PT Berkah Usaha Muamalah Nusantara. Yahya explained that this company is managed by the NU cooperative as the business entity responsible for managing the mine.
He also confirmed that the WIUPK (Special Mining Business Permit) for NU has been issued, and they are currently preparing the exploration process. After that, NU will begin mining coal effectively.
Meanwhile, NU is also conducting an environmental study as required by the government.
"Of course, we will follow the required procedures because the permit has already been granted to us. We will fulfill all the requirements," Yahya explained.
According to Bisnis' records, the mining land allocated to PBNU is former land from the coal mining agreement (PKP2B) of PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC).
KPC is one of the coal mining entities of PT Bumi Resources Tbk. (BUMI), a company owned by the Bakrie Group, which is now jointly controlled with the Salim Group.
