PALMOILMAGAZINE, GORONTALO — Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi / KPK) has reinforced its commitment to improving governance in Gorontalo’s palm oil sector by promoting greater transparency, accountability, and integrity. The initiative forms part of KPK’s broader efforts to ensure the palm oil industry contributes optimally to regional economic development.
This commitment was emphasized by Epa Kartika, the KPK’s Person in Charge (PIC) for South Sulawesi, during a coordination meeting ahead of a field visit at the Gorontalo Provincial Inspectorate Office on Wednesday (12/11/2025). The meeting is part of the agency’s Coordination and Supervision of Corruption Prevention (Korsupgah) program, which focuses on monitoring and evaluating governance in major palm oil–producing regions.
According to Epa, improving governance is essential to ensuring fairness and legal certainty for all stakeholders. “KPK wants to be in the middle — ensuring clarity and a healthy business climate for companies, while also making sure regional governments fulfill their responsibilities. The target is to have all data complete by December and the first semester of 2026,” she said, as quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com from the Gorontalo Provincial Government on Friday (14/11/2025).
She added that the initiative is also meant to strengthen partnerships between the government and palm oil businesses. Accurate, verifiable data is crucial so that evaluation results can serve as a foundation for reforming plantation governance across Gorontalo.
During the meeting, Epa highlighted several key obligations for palm oil companies, including complete business permits (IUP), land-use rights (HGU), and environmental licenses. Companies are also required to manage waste properly, develop plasma plantations of at least 2% of their total concession area, and fulfill their social responsibility and tax obligations.
Meanwhile, regional governments play a critical role in supervising plantation operations, gathering accurate data, ensuring company–community partnerships run according to regulations, and submitting regular reports on licensing and production. These steps are expected to help optimize palm oil revenue-sharing funds (DBH) for the region.
“The central government has a responsibility to provide guidance and support. At the same time, provincial governments must proactively fulfill their duties in accordance with existing regulations,” Epa added.
Following the coordination, KPK received initial data from the Gorontalo Provincial Government covering three key palm oil–producing districts: Gorontalo, Boalemo, and Pohuwato. The data—covering licensing, environmental compliance, social obligations, and taxation—will be verified through direct field checks.
However, Epa noted that many companies still have incomplete data. She stressed the need for strong collaboration among central agencies, local governments, and industry players to create a cleaner, more sustainable governance system in the palm oil sector.
The coordination meeting was also attended by Gorontalo’s Assistant for Development and the Economy, Jamal Nganro; Head of the Investment and One-Stop Service Agency (DPMPTSP), Sultan Kalupe; Head of Cooperatives, Industry, and Trade Office, Risjon Sunge; as well as KPK PIC for Gorontalo and North Kalimantan, Basuki Haryono. (P2)
