JAKARTA, thekabarnews.com—The Forestry Ministry has requested an additional Rp4.68 trillion ($285 million) for 2027 to strengthen forest patrols. The budget would also improve the country’s response to forest and land fires (karhutla).

Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni presented the request during a working meeting with the House of Representatives’ Commission IV in Jakarta on Tuesday evening, September 1.

The ministry’s current 2027 budget ceiling stands at approximately Rp8.69 trillion. If lawmakers and the government approve the full request, its total allocation would rise to about Rp13.37 trillion.

“We respectfully propose an additional budget for 2027, as mentioned earlier, amounting to Rp4.68 trillion,” Raja Juli told the commission.

The proposal still requires further discussion in the state budget process. The request does not mean the ministry has already secured the additional funding.

The Rp4.68 trillion represents the remaining amount from an earlier funding proposal. In June, the ministry sought an additional Rp6.23 trillion beyond its original indicative ceiling of Rp7.14 trillion.

The 2027 budget ceiling later accommodated Rp1.55 trillion of that request, raising the ministry’s allocation to roughly Rp8.69 trillion.

The ministry is now asking lawmakers to support the outstanding Rp4.68 trillion.

“The Forestry Ministry’s 2027 budget received only Rp1.55 trillion in additional funding. Therefore, a shortfall of Rp4.68 trillion remains,” Raja Juli said, according to reports on the Commission IV meeting.

The Forestry Ministry said in June that the original Rp6.23 trillion request would support regional forestry institutions and additional forest rangers. It also covered land rehabilitation and programs involving communities living near forests.

Raja Juli said the remaining request would strengthen security patrols in forest areas and improve infrastructure for wildfire control. Part of the funding would support plans to lease six helicopters and six water-bombing aircraft for high-risk regions.

“One part of the proposed additional budget will be allocated to strengthen forest-area security patrols and the prevention and control of karhutla [forest and land fires], particularly in areas with a high level of vulnerability,” he said.

The ministry recorded approximately 202,000 hectares of burned forest and land across Indonesia between January and July 2026.

About 57 percent of the affected area was inside designated forest zones. Meanwhile, the remainder was outside them, according to a Forestry Ministry report.

The figure exceeded the area recorded during the corresponding periods of 2019 and 2023. The ministry linked the elevated fire risk to an earlier and stronger-than-expected El Niño.

Indonesia’s 2026 Forestry Ministry budget was approximately Rp6.04 trillion, according to the ministry’s official budget statement.

The existing Rp8.69 trillion ceiling for 2027 is already higher. Raja Juli argued that it would not fully finance the planned expansion of patrol personnel and firefighting capacity.

Commission IV must assess the request against other spending priorities before the 2027 state budget is finalized.

Detailed allocations and procurement plans will also require scrutiny. This will ensure that any additional funding produces measurable improvements in prevention and field response.