"I have ordered the national police chief to take as firm action as possible to companies that violate laws," he said when inspecting forest fire in Pulau Geronggang village in Ogan Komering Ilir, South Sumatra on Sunday.
President Joko Widodo reminded all ministries/institutions, TNI (military)/police and all related offices that prevention is the best policy.
He said companies that violate the law must be held responsible, adding that he had cautioned a number of plantation companies many times before that harsh actions would be taken against those that burned their fields.
He said companies must also be responsible over areas around their fields.
"I have ordered the forestry minister to revoke the concession rights of the companies that break the law and if a criminal case is involved it will be processed by the police chief," he said.
President Joko Widodo said that he had mobilized a lot of people to conduct monitoring and control to prevent fires that have broken out since April.
"Do not act after the fires become big. I have said that I do not want to talk about what has caused the fires as well as their solutions. Everybody has known what they have to do," he said.
President Joko Widodo has called for immediate extinguishing of the current fires and next year prevention must be the priority.
Ogan Komering Ilir district head Iskandar said fires burned 8,000 hectares of land last year while this year they affected 1,000 hectares.
"But if the situation has become like this the handling would be very difficult," the President said.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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