Prabowo Orders Martabe Review, Signals Possible Permit Restoration

JAKARTA, Investortrust.id — President Prabowo Subianto on Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026 in Jakarta orders a fresh review of the Martabe gold mine in South Tapanuli, North Sumatra to reassess compliance and signals that the permit may be restored if no violations are found, a move aimed at safeguarding legal certainty while maintaining environmental enforcement and economic growth in Sumatra.

Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said the directive was delivered during a limited cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace and confirmed that the government would verify alleged breaches before deciding on sanctions or restoration.

"Earlier the President instructed in the meeting that it should be checked. If there are no violations, we must restore the rights of the investor, and if there are violations, sanctions must be imposed proportionally," Bahlil said at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday, Feb 11, 2026.

The statement marked the clearest indication yet that the administration could soften its earlier stance toward PT Agincourt Resources, the operator of the Martabe mine, whose permit had previously faced revocation over environmental and forestry compliance concerns.

PT Agincourt Resources is a subsidiary of PT United Tractors Tbk, which is part of one of Indonesia’s largest diversified business groups, PT Astra International Tbk. Astra is controlled by Hong-Kong based multinational conglomerate Jardine Matheson.

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From Revocation Shock to Legal Recalibration

The Martabe case escalated after the government moved to revoke the company’s mining rights, citing alleged regulatory breaches that unsettled domestic and foreign investors given Martabe’s status under a Contract of Work framework designed to provide long term legal stability.

Bahlil said the review sought to balance enforcement with investment protection and regional economic growth.

"All of this is again done to ensure that investment and legal certainty can be maintained and at the same time to safeguard economic growth in the Sumatra region," he said.

He reiterated that fairness would guide the final decision. "If the company is not at fault, then we can restore everything that becomes its rights," he added.

Bahlil confirmed coordination with Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq and said the Environment Ministry was conducting its own assessment of the site. "God willing, it will be completed soon. And my feeling is, God willing, everything will be fine," he said.

Separately, Hashim Djojohadikusumo, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Kadin Indonesia, the country’s largest business lobby, said during a public discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday, Feb 10, 2026 that the government had revoked permits of 28 companies allegedly linked to environmental damage in Sumatra based on satellite and drone data.

"The government has taken firm action and indeed there was involvement of elites," Hashim, who is also Prabowo's borther, said at the forum.

However, he stressed that legal review must follow proper governance channels rather than public pressure. "This case will be reviewed again, but as far as I know only around four companies have filed appeals," he said.

The controversy intensified after reports suggested that Martabe’s assets could potentially be transferred to Perminas, a new state mineral entity under Danantara, the sovereign wealth structure strengthened under Prabowo’s administration.

The president’s latest instruction, as relayed directly by Bahlil, reframed the dispute as a due diligence process rather than a unilateral revocation, signaling that compliance would lead to restoration while proven violations would result in proportional sanctions.