A NEW law allowing the Indonesian government to grant permits to religious organisations to operate mines has outraged environmentalists in the world’s leading nickel producer.

Outgoing President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, signed a decree on Thursday (May 30), opening the path for religious groups to manage concessions to “improve social welfare”.

But a leading Indonesian environmental watchdog, Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) slammed the regulation as the government’s attempt to keep and control natural resources for the benefit of elites.

“We saw this as a transaction between Jokowi and religious groups,” Jatam’s national coordinator Melky Nahar told AFP on Monday (Jun 3). “We read this as a gratitude from Jokowi to religious groups for supporting him during his two terms”.

“There’s also a possibility that Jokowi is trying to maintain political influence... even after his term ends,” he said.

The presidential spokesman did not immediately respond to AFP when contacted for comment.

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