Court Orders Restoration of Emmsons Subsidiary’s Coal Mining Permit in Indonesia
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JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — A Jakarta court has annulled the Indonesian government’s revocation of a coal mining permit held by PT Bara Energi Makmur, a subsidiary of India- and Dubai-based Emmsons Group, and ordered the license to be fully restored.
The Jakarta State Administrative Court's decision, delivered on Tuesday, Aug 12, 2025, nullified a 5 April 2022 ministerial decree that had revoked the company’s Production Operation Mining Business Permit, first issued on 24 August 2009. The court rejected all objections from the government, ordered the reinstatement of the permit, and directed the state to pay Rp361,000 in legal costs.
The ruling restores the subsidiary’s right to resume coal mining operations in East Kutai, East Kalimantan, under the original license granted in 2009. Bara Energi Makmur's legal counsel Sururudin welcomed the decision, calling it proof that Indonesia upholds justice and legal certainty.
“This ruling sends a positive signal to foreign investors doing business in Indonesia. The state continues to guarantee a conducive investment climate,” Sururudin told Investortrust.id. He urged the Ministry of Investment and Downstreaming, also known as BKPM, to promptly implement the court’s order and reactivate the permit.
Emmsons Group is a diversified commodities and energy trading conglomerate with headquarters in India and Dubai. Its flagship company, Emmsons International Limited, is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and recognized by the Indian government as an accredited “Trading House.” The group trades globally in rice, wheat, sugar, corn, barley, soybeans, and cotton, and imports pulses, sugar, fertilizers, and coal.
As part of its international expansion, Emmsons established Emmsons Gulf DMCC in Dubai to handle large-scale commodity trading. In 2007, the group identified Indonesia’s coal sector as a strategic opportunity and acquired PT Bara Energi Makmur, securing a 3,434-hectare production license in 2009 with government approval.
Sururudin expressed hope that the court victory will safeguard foreign investment in Indonesia’s mining sector, reinforcing legal certainty as a cornerstone for attracting and retaining global investor confidence under President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, which has emphasized economic growth and job creation.
The decision comes amid a recent slowdown in foreign direct investment (FDI), highlighting the importance of legal certainty in sustaining investor confidence. FDI fell by 6.95% year‑on‑year in Q2 alone—the steepest drop since Q1 2020—declining to Rp 202.2 trillion (approx. $12.3 billion), recent data from the Investment Coordinating Agency (BKPM) showed. Key sectors still attracting FDI included base metals, mining, services, transportation, warehousing, and telecommunications.