PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA – The Ministry of Forestry (Kementerian Kehutanan), in collaboration with the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (Badan Pengawasan Keuangan dan Pembangunan or BPKP), has announced a strong commitment to tackling illegal oil palm plantations in forest areas. In a meeting held on Friday (1/11/2024) at the BPKP Office, Minister of Forestry Raja Juli Antoni and BPKP Head Muhammad Yusuf Ateh discussed firm measures to eradicate illegal palm oil activities that have harmed the environment and the national economy.
Raja Juli explained that law enforcement against illegal palm oil plantations would include administrative fines and land confiscation. Revenue generated from the confiscated land will be utilized for the public’s benefit, following directives from President Prabowo Subianto. “The state must assert its sovereignty over illegal activities within its territory. If plantations fail to comply with regulations, we will act firmly, through either administrative fines or confiscation,” Raja Juli emphasized, as quoted by Palmoilmagazine.com from KBRN RRI on Tuesday (5/11/2024).
As a further step, the Ministry of Forestry, in collaboration with BPKP and the Attorney General’s Office, plans to establish an Oil Palm Task Force (Satgas Sawit). This task force is expected to strengthen law enforcement efforts and reconcile palm oil data, which has been scattered across various agencies. Minister Raja Juli stated that informal discussions about the formation of the task force have been held with the State Secretary to ensure its effective implementation.
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“We want this task force to return, as in the past, but with a more specific mandate and function,” said Raja Juli. He added that data reconciliation is a top priority to provide the task force with an accurate database for identifying illegal plantations. “Our colleagues at BPKP are currently updating the data, and I may return next week to review these updates,” he added.
The Ministry of Forestry’s efforts aim not only to regulate illegal palm oil plantations but also to increase state revenue. With updated data, the government will impose maximum fines on illegal palm oil operators to boost national income from the sector. “Using that data, we will enforce regulations over the earth, water, and everything within Indonesia’s land for the common prosperity,” Raja Juli concluded.
This decisive action by the Ministry of Forestry and BPKP reflects the government’s commitment to preserving forest sustainability and upholding legal sovereignty over its territory. Addressing illegal palm oil plantations in forest areas is expected to reduce negative environmental impacts and ensure that all land use aligns with regulations for the prosperity of the people. (P2)
