Regulatory Gaps and Government Oversight of Bauxite Mining Exploitation in Indonesia

Bauxite mining exploitation in Indonesia demonstrates a serious gap between government regulation and oversight. Although a legal framework is in place through Law Number 3 of 2020 concerning Mineral and Coal Mining and its derivative regulations, its implementation remains weak due to disharmony between agencies and overlapping authority between the central and regional governments. This study aims to analyze the regulatory and oversight gaps in bauxite mining management and their implications for legal certainty and environmental sustainability. The research method used is a normative juridical approach, examining laws and regulations, legal literature, and empirical data related to mining oversight practices in several bauxite-producing regions. The results indicate that weak inter-agency coordination, a shortage of mining inspectors, and minimal transparency of production and export data are the main causes of weak oversight. Furthermore, the lack of integration between technical and environmental policies creates a gray area that business actors exploit to avoid legal obligations. This gap has resulted in increased environmental damage, legal uncertainty, and a decline in public trust in the government. Regulatory reform measures are needed through inter-agency harmonization, strengthening digital-based oversight capacity, and involving the public in evaluating mining activities to create a transparent, equitable, and sustainable mining governance system.