JAKARTA – The Indonesian government is evaluating the presidential instruction (Inpres) No.8/2018 on delay and evaluation of licensing process and productivity increase of oil palm plantations.
The economic coordinating ministry’s Deputy in charge of foods and agribusiness coordination, Musdhalifah Machmud said that currently her ministry is preparing a report on their evaluation on the implementation of the Inpres no.8/2018. “We’re in a process of preparing our report on the Inpres evaluation. But we’ll soon file the report to President,” she told Kontan on Wednesday, 28 July 2021.
Musdhalifah noted, however, that the programs stipulated in the Inpres no.8/2018 are relatively well implemented. The programs include the improvement of oil palm plantation governance, legal certainty, environmental protection that includes reduction of greenhouse emissions, improvement of smallholders’ farming capability and their productivity and sustainability.
She said that so far the government is still undecided on whether to extend or not the implementation of the Inpres 2018. “We’ve got no direction yet on it. But we’ll report the progress of the Inpres implementation until now to President. He will make a decision on whether to extend the moratorium or not,” Musdhalifah said.
The Indonesian Palm Oil Association (Gapki) Chairman Joko Supriyono said that the Inpres 8/2018 requires the evaluation of oil palm licensing process. “But there is also a requirement to tackle the problem of overlapping regulations after the issuance of the omnibus law on job creation (UU Cipta Kerja),” he said recently.
The Indonesian Forum of Oil Palm Farmers Organizations (POPSI) Chairman Pahala Sibuea has called on President Jokowi Widodo (Jokowi) to extend the oil palm moratorium policy. “The moratorium policy should be continued. Having a total acreage of oil palm plantations at 16.38 million hectares, Indonesia should focus on increasing productivity and sustainability of the smallholders. It can be done through the implementation of replanting program,” he said, adding that they have sent a letter to President to ask him to extend the moratorium policy.
POPSI groups the oil palm farmers union (SPKS), the Indonesian oil palm smallholders association of struggle (Apkasindo Perjuangan), the oil palm nucleus estate smallholders association (ASPEKPIR) and the Indonesian sustainable oil palm farmers network (JaPSBI). (*)
Source: KONTAN.CO.ID | Featured image via thehindubusinessline.com
