Ministry of Forestry Responds to Controversy over Rp 150,000 Honorarium for Karhutla Volunteers and the Participation Theory

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Ristianto Pribadi, Head of the Public Relations and Foreign Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Forestry (Kemenhut), addressed the complaints of volunteers extinguishing fires in Tanjung Puting National Park, Central Kalimantan.

They expressed dissatisfaction over the cash assistance of only Rp 150,000 and raised concerns about the participation theory, as their personal funds were exhausted in combating forest and land fires (karhutla).

Ristianto acknowledged the challenges faced by volunteers working tirelessly to extinguish the fires.

He emphasized that these grievances are significant feedback for the government.

"The Ministry of Forestry understands the public's concern for the condition of volunteers battling the fires at Tanjung Puting National Park. We greatly appreciate their dedication, sacrifice of time, effort, and resources. Complaints regarding equipment, logistics, and operational support are important inputs to strengthen on-ground handling," Ristianto told Kompas.com on Monday (19/10/2026).

Regarding the absence of a specific budget, Ristianto clarified that Kemenhut does have a budget for controlling karhutla, including prevention and extinguishing efforts.

He explained that in the 2026 fiscal year, the allocation for karhutla was approximately Rp 793 billion.

This budget is distributed across various working units, with the largest portions allocated to the Directorate General for Law Enforcement in Forestry and the Directorate General for Ecosystem Conservation.

Ristianto noted that the budget supports patrols, early detection, personnel preparedness, extinguishing operations, infrastructure strengthening, and law enforcement.

"Within that national allocation, there is approximately Rp 99 billion earmarked for capital expenditures aimed at strengthening infrastructure at five Forest Fire Control Centers. Distribution includes about Rp 48 billion for Kalimantan, Rp 25 billion for Sumatra, Rp 17.5 billion for Sulawesi, Rp 6.5 billion for Java-Bali-Nusa Tenggara, and Rp 2 billion for Maluku-Papua. These figures represent the allocation for capital expenditure, not the total costs for karhutla management in each area," he detailed.

He added that these capital expenditures would be used for patrol vehicles, pumps and hoses for extinguishing fires, water distribution equipment, safety gear, communication and mapping devices, and monitoring drones.

According to him, this equipment will be state assets used sustainably.

Further, Ristianto mentioned that this national allocation needs to be viewed in the context of protecting around 120 million hectares of state forest area, which has diverse geographical conditions and accessibility.

He reminded that the budget and resources must be able to reach various regions, especially when fires occur simultaneously at multiple locations.

Specifically for Tanjung Puting National Park, the budget allocation for karhutla control in 2026 is about Rp 9.4 billion.

"The components include approximately Rp 2.3 billion via DIPA, Rp 1.4 billion from FOLU support, and about Rp 5.7 billion through IP PNBP allocation for karhutla control. These figures represent the fiscal year allocation, not the balance of funds still available or the total cash aid to volunteers. The remaining budget that can be utilized should be assessed based on the realization and the latest spending commitment," Ristianto explained.