Summary

Decree of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Number 344.K/MB.01/MEM.B/2025 regarding Technical Guidelines for the Implementation of Reclamation and Post-Mining in Mineral and Coal Mining Business Activities (“MEMR Decree 344/2025”) took effect on its date of issuance, October 23, 2025.

Its primary objective is to establish a nationally standardized and accountable system for implementing reclamation and post-mining, and to introduce new guidelines for reopening previously reclaimed areas.

Background and Context

The issuance of MEMR Decree 344/2025 was driven by the urgent need to standardize all processes, from planning, implementation, to the assessment of reclamation and post-mining success throughout Indonesia. Furthermore, emerging challenges necessitate specific regulation, particularly concerning the reopening of previously reclaimed areas. Therefore, this regulation is designed to provide comprehensive technical guidelines to ensure the accountability of business actors and the achievement of measurable environmental recovery.

Key Provisions

Annex I: Guidelines for Reclamation and Post-Mining Management

This annex serves as the primary reference governing the entire process flow from start to finish. Its contents cover the procedures for the preparation, submission, evaluation, and approval of Reclamation Plan documents (for both the Exploration and Production Operation stages) and Post-Mining Plan documents. This annex also details the mechanisms for plan amendments, procedures for the placement and disbursement of Reclamation/Post-Mining Securities [Jaminan Reklamasi/Pascatambang], and reporting formats. Specifically, these guidelines differentiate between onshore reclamation programs (such as revegetation or other forms) and reclamation programs in sea areas (such as artificial reefs, mangrove planting, and coral reef transplantation).

Annex II: Guidelines for Reclamation Cost Standards

This annex functions as the basis for determining the value of the Reclamation Security. It stipulates direct cost components (e.g., land use planning, revegetation) and indirect cost components (e.g., planning, supervision, administration). This annex provides two main matrices: 

1. Standard costs for onshore reclamation in the form of revegetation, which vary for each province (in IDR Million/Hectare), and 

2. Standard fixed costs per hectare for reclamation activities in sea areas.

Annex III: Guidelines for the Reopening of Areas That Have Been Reclaimed (PKAR)

This annex is a new guideline that strictly regulates if a company intends to reopen land that has already been reclaimed. The main prerequisite is that the cumulative realization of reclamation must have reached at least 50% of the total disturbed area. Business actors are required to implement accelerated reclamation (as replacement land) with an area of at least 3 (three) times the size of the PKAR area. Furthermore, a PKAR application must be accompanied by an urgency justification, an environmental economic valuation analysis (to calculate the value of lost ecology), and a cost-benefit analysis demonstrating that the economic benefits outweigh the environmental costs.

Annex IV: Guidelines for the Appointment of Third Parties

This annex regulates the role of third parties to ensure accountability. There are two types of third parties:

1. As Implementers, who will be appointed by the DG (through a tender mechanism) to carry out reclamation/post-mining using the company's security funds, if the IUP/IUPK holder fails to fulfill its obligations (e.g., the reclamation success rate does not reach 60% for two consecutive years).

2. As Assessors, namely independent service business entities (holding an IUJP) that will replace the role of the Mining Inspector in conducting field assessments to determine reclamation success.

Conclusion

MEMR Decree 344/2025 brings significant changes to the governance of reclamation and post-mining in Indonesia by regulating the following:

1. The delegation of technical authority from the Minister to the DG of Mineral and Coal to accelerate the evaluation and approval process for reclamation and post-mining documents.

2. The establishment of 4 (four) technical guidelines for the implementation of reclamation and post-mining, including Guidelines for Reclamation and Post-Mining Management, Guidelines for Reclamation Cost Standards, Guidelines for the Reopening of Areas That Have Been Reclaimed (PKAR), and Guidelines for the Appointment of Third Parties.