PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — Since the issuance of the Presidential Regulation on Forest Area Control (Perpres), the Palm Oil Land Governance Task Force (Satgas PKH) has verified a total of 620,500.38 hectares of oil palm plantations. An additional 399,110.83 hectares are still undergoing verification.
Initial results have shown significant progress in reclaiming land for the state. In Phase I, 221,868 hectares were returned and handed over to PT Agrinas Palma Nusantara. During Phase II, a further 216,997.75 hectares were officially reclaimed.
Ardito Muwardi, Coordinator I at the Attorney General’s Office for Special Crimes, explained that in the Phase II summary, around 75,925.29 hectares are set to be returned to state control. Of that, approximately 28,925.29 hectares originate from 17 palm oil companies operating in five districts in Kalimantan, while 47,000 hectares come from PT Tor Ganda in North Sumatra.
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However, the mission is far from over. The Task Force is now preparing for Phase II targeting an additional 1,045,884.26 hectares suspected of being illegally controlled by 465 companies across 14 provinces. This next step presents a major challenge, especially as many of the companies lack clear legal documentation for their land holdings.
This effort goes beyond paperwork—it represents a national movement to reclaim sovereignty over vital land resources. In the face of powerful industrial interests and complex economic considerations, the government is working to reestablish lawful and sustainable forest governance, a task as difficult as it is necessary.
“What’s crucial is that the process remains transparent, and more importantly, that communities are not harmed along the way,” Ardito emphasized. (P2)
