TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice Chairperson of the House of Representatives' legislature, Ahmad Doli Kurnia, affirmed that universities will not directly manage mines, but will only receive the benefits.

He revealed that third parties such as state-owned enterprises (SOEs), regional-owned enterprises (BUMD), and private companies will be the holders of mining business licenses (IUP).

"So, they are merely the beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the IUP or IUPK (special mining business license) will be handed over to government-appointed SOEs, BUMD, or private companies," said Doli when met by reporters at the parliament building in Central Jakarta on Monday, February 17, 2025.

In the future, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) will appoint the mine managers. This decision was reached in the discussion of the List of Inventory Problems (DIM) for the Minerba Bill which has been ongoing at the DPR/MPR/DPD building for several days.

Doli confirmed that this decision was made to ensure that the benefits received by higher education institutions in Indonesia are more evenly distributed.

"It will be mapped out later. There will also be targets, which higher education institutions will be able to receive the benefits, then later it will be mapped out which regions, which locations," he said.

Previously, the Director General of Minerals and Coal at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Tri Winarno, had indicated that higher education institutions would not be granted IUP under the Minerba Bill. "Universities are the ones receiving the benefits, not the holders of the IUP," said Tri when contacted by Tempo regarding the DIM in the revision of the regulations on Friday, February 14, 2025.

According to Tri, the revision of the Minerba Bill only adjusts several aspects related to the status of higher education institutions as a priority group that can manage mines. Nevertheless, the mechanism for the auction of the Mining Business License area (WIUP) still applies, including for priority groups.

The government did propose that campuses should not be directly involved in managing mining. This was first conveyed by Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas.

Supratman explained that based on the DIM of the Minerba Bill, it was stated that mining businesses would be managed by third parties. In this case, campuses would only obtain the profit difference from the mining.

"The government proposed that the scheme should not be directly given to universities," said Supratman when met at the parliament complex on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

The proposal is designed to let campuses concentrate on education while mining operations finance higher education. "The profits from mining will truly be used only for the benefit and assistance of the education sector," he said.

Dani Aswara and Nandito Putra contributed to the writing of this article.

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