PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – Addressing palm oil plantations in forest areas through the implementation of the Omnibus Law on Job Creation (Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja/UUCK) presents a new concern regarding the permissible size of plantations in forest areas. According to UUCK, the maximum area that can be resolved within the forest areas arrangement strategy is five hectares.
General Secretary of Serikat Petani Kelapa Sawit (SPKS), Mansuetus Darto said, business scale less than 25 hectares that planters cultivated, as it is regulated in Laws of Plantation, would not have solution in forest area arrangement strategy.
What about the smallholders that cultivate or own more than six hectares or less than 25 hectares? Would there be other mechanism out of forest area arrangement strategy? This is not regulated yet in solution scheme of UUCK.
“That is why the solution with ‘high way’ strategy by bleaching would be taken for advantages by certain parties to manipulate data of ownership or width of plantation where they cultivate in forest areas, namely by big scale capital owners that cultivate more than 25 hectares. In addition, palm oil taskforce opens the chance to self-reporting and hopes that corporates and individuals would be honest (to self-reporting) although they have been cultivating in forest areas,” he said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, Tuesday (4/7/2023).
He also mentioned, self-reporting would not be effective if the government itself has no factual data in the field. Self-reporting by planters would refer to the permit as same as it is used by the government in Siperibun system.
He continued in many cases, there are different concession areas that the corporates actually master with data permit that the government has in Siperibun. That is why self – reporting would be effective if the government really has data from study result and field verification. “It is hoped the government would deliver data to public and open complaint mechanism from the civil,” Darto said. (T2)
