Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni has dismissed reports of a planned 600-villa project on Padar Island in Komodo National Park as “hoax,” citing strict zoning limits in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“By law, development in the utilization zone cannot exceed 10 percent of the area. The claim about 600 villas is false,” he said Monday (11/8/2025) after the National Nature Conservation Day event in Jakarta, as reported by antaranews.com
PT Komodo Wildlife Ecotourism (PT KWE) holds a 2014 permit for tourism facilities on 15.37 hectares, or 5.64 percent of the 274.13-hectare concession.
Minister Raja Juli stressed that any project must be semi-permanent, environmentally safe, and approved through public consultation and an Environmental Impact Assessment, which is reviewed by UNESCO.
Local communities and tour operator associations had voiced objections, warning such development could damage the fragile ecosystem and destroy residents’ livelihoods.
(mg/inp/pr/rs)
