JAKARTA – The government has planned to revise the presidential regulation (Perpres) No.44/2020 on the certification system of  Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO). The Perpres stipulates that all of oil palm industry players are obliged to get the certification of ISPO.

The economic coordinating ministry’s Deputy in charge of plantation agribusiness development, Edy Yusuf said that based on the revision the palm oil industry players who have been certified with ISPO will receive incentives. “The revised version of Perpres 44 will, among others, give incentives to those who have already got the ISPO certification,” Edy said during a public discussion on sustainable palm oil in Jakarta on Tuesday, 31 January 2023.

But Edy could not yet elaborate on the incentives to be given to the ISPO certificate holders. “The revision will cover the incentives. It’s still being designed, so we could not yet elaborate on the type of incentives,” he said.

According to him, the economic coordinating ministry has filed the revision proposal of Perpres No.44/2020 to President, through the ministry of state secretary. “It’s been also discussed by certain groups of palm oil stakeholders, including the NGOs,” he said.

Edy said that besides the incentives, the revision will also cover the implementation of ISPO in downstream sector, so that the palm oil industry will be sustainable from upstream to downstream sectors. “The ISPO certification will not be just in the upstream, but also in downstream. In downstream for the ministry of energy and mineral resources (MEMR) there is biodiesel. And for the industry ministry there is cooking oil,” he said.

The ISPO certification has been complained by many for not giving economic benefits to its holders. It is contrary to the certification of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which provides incentives to its holders. (*)

Source: KONTAN.CO.ID