Luhut: Synchronizing Palm Oil Data and Seeking Solutions for Sustainable Palm Oil in Forest Areas

PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Following a thorough audit of palm oil plantations, the findings were presented to President Joko Widodo. Subsequently, President’s Decision Number 9 / 2023 was issued, focusing on the establishment of the Palm Oil Industry Government Improvement and Revenue Optimization Taskforce.

Coordinator Minister in Maritime and Investment, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan said the taskforce involves many institutions, such as, Coordinator Ministry in Politics, Law, and Security, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, the Attorney, and law officers. One significant job description of the taskforce is about to accelerate palm oil issue in forest areas with the time limit as it is regulated in Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja (UUCK) would be on 2 November 2023.

The main goal is about to improve palm oil plantation governance from upstream to downstream sectors to encourage palm oil industrial management sustainably. “And also to improve smallholders replanting program which is always forgotten to escalate plantation productivity,” Pandjaitan said in the press conference, as Palmoilmagazine.com did watch, Friday (23/6/2023) in Jakarta.

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From the satellite image, the government found that palm oil plantation canopy laid about 16,8 million hectares; about 3,3 million hectares are in forest areas. There would be mechanism according to Chapter 110A and 110B about palm oil plantations in forest areas in UUCK.

“The taskforce would help accelerate the implementation of chapter 110A and 110B for every palm oil plantation in forest areas,” he said.

By the report, every planter would obey every available permit, such as, location, property tax, business rights, and plantation permit.

“In the future, we encourage that every planter would deliver their obligation to complete every permit needed as it is regulated in available regulation. We also firmly suggest that they would get self – reporting on their plantations with evidences. It starts from the companies,” Pandjaitan said. (T2)