PALMOILMAGAZINE, PADANG — The Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) of West Sumatra has called on the Provincial Forestry Office to take a more proactive role in supporting the Forest Area Enforcement Task Force (Satgas PKH). This call follows the ongoing issue of illegal oil palm plantations encroaching on forest areas across the province.
Verry Mulyadi, Secretary of DPRD West Sumatra’s Commission IV, stressed that the Forestry Office’s support is crucial for the task force’s success. One key contribution would be providing accurate and detailed data on forest areas suspected of being misused by private companies.
“Concrete support means delivering reliable data to Satgas PKH. This is essential to ensure effective enforcement and to safeguard West Sumatra’s forest areas,” said Verry, as quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com from Antara on Monday (July 14, 2025).
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Recent data shows that Satgas PKH has successfully reclaimed 3,897 hectares of forest and illegally planted oil palm land. Most of this land is located in Agam and West Pasaman Regencies. In these areas, PT AMP Plantation has been found to manage around 1,622 hectares illegally, while PT Primatama Muliajaya controls another 330 hectares.
Further enforcement actions took place in Silaut District, South Pesisir Regency, where 1,228 hectares of illegal plantations previously managed by PT Sumatera Jaya Agro Lestari were seized. In Dharmasraya Regency, 715.03 hectares of land were confiscated from PT Selago Makmur Plantation.
Despite these efforts, Verry believes the reclaimed areas are only a fraction of the problem. He estimates that up to 32,000 hectares of forest land in West Sumatra may be used illegally, not only for oil palm cultivation but also for fishponds and unauthorized resort developments.
“The Forestry Office must actively supply information on suspected illegal activities, especially in protected forest zones managed by private companies. Thorough enforcement can only happen with accurate field data,” he added.
Support for Satgas PKH also came from Khairuddin Simanunjtak, Chair of DPRD West Sumatra’s Commission II. He urged all government institutions and community members to actively support the forest enforcement program. According to him, this aligns with President Prabowo Subianto’s vision of improving public welfare.
“Cracking down on illegal plantations and unlawful forest exploitation is vital. Besides environmental protection, it will also directly benefit state revenue,” said Khairuddin.
Commission II, which oversees economic affairs, emphasized that turning a blind eye to illegal plantation activities harms both the environment and the state’s potential revenue from taxes and fees.
“If forest areas continue to be illegally occupied, the state will lose significant income. This must be stopped,” he asserted. (P2)
