JAKARTA, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Indonesia has set the fines it will impose on miners operating illegally in forest areas, part of government efforts to protect forest areas from illegal clearing, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry said on Wednesday.
Nickel miners found to be clearing forest illegally will be fined 6.5 billion rupiah ($389,688) per hectare, bauxite miners will be fined 1.76 billion rupiah per hectare, and tin miners will be fined 1.25 billion rupiah a hectare, the ministry said in a statement.
Coal miners will be fined 354 million rupiah per hectare.
A government forestry task force, made up of military personnel and law enforcement officials, will collect the fines based on findings of their investigations.
Earlier this week, the task force ordered dozens of companies in palm oil cultivation and mining to pay fines totalling 38.62 trillion rupiah for operating illegally in forest areas.
($1 = 16,680.0000 rupiah)
(Reporting by Fransiska NangoyEditing by Frances Kerry)
