Kubu Raya, Thekabarnews.com—On Friday, April 3, the Kubu Raya Regency administration and a special task force did a surprise inspection of sand mining and distribution activities in Pulau Jambu, Kubu Raya, West Kalimantan.

The operation showed that there were likely serious violations involving unpaid regional taxes and environmental damage that hurt local communities.

The Kubu Raya Deputy Regent Sukiryanto said that only 11 of the 46 licensed companies in the area have consistently paid their taxes to the regional treasury up to 2025.

PT Pasir Kalimantan is one company that is getting a lot of attention. That is because officials think it has avoided paying taxes even though it is still in business.

This information is an important discovery. The region has not received any money, despite the high volume of sand movement—hundreds of tons per month.

“This situation clearly hurts both the government and the local community,” Sukir said during the field inspection.

Sukir stated that the midstream area is defined by the Home Affairs Ministry Regulation number 17/2020, which defines the river boundaries. As a result, companies that mine near administrative borders have to pay fees to both Kubu Raya and Sanggau Regency, which is next door.

To enhance monitoring, the local government plans to establish a checkpoint in Pulau Jambu to monitor the movement of sand transport pontoons. The measure aims to ensure clear levy payments and prevent further loss.

Regional Inspector Y. Hardito announced the government’s plan to initiate a comprehensive audit and investigation into businesses suspected of evading their obligations.

“Early reports indicate that some mining activities have not brought in money for the region. He stated that proven violations could result in criminal proceedings.

Hardito also brought up the possibility of illegal profit-making. He said that weak oversight could let people take advantage of regional resources without having to answer for it.

He stressed that strict enforcement is necessary to make sure that the wealth of natural resources benefits the whole community.

On the other hand, people in Tanjung Durian Hamlet in Pulau Jambu Village are increasingly worried. They said that the sand transport pontoons work too close to homes. Such activity makes people worry about landslides and makes a lot of noise at night.

“We are worried about how safe our homes are. The noise at night is also very annoying. We hope businesses will be more considerate of the community,” Supardi, the local hamlet head of Tanjung Durian, said.

Even though the sand mining industry is enormous, residents pointed out a strange irony. Their area still does not have electricity. They asked both the government and businesses to give real benefits to the people who live there.

The Kubu Raya administration has promised to follow up on the results by working with provincial authorities. Sukiryanto said that the administration will punish people who break the rules very harshly if investigations find that they did.

Stay connected via Google News