JAKARTA – The government has ensured that the moratorium policy on new licenses of oil palm plantations will continue under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto.

The moratorium policy has been reinstated with the issuance of the presidential instruction (Inpres) No.8/2018 on the delay and evaluation of new licenses for oil palm plantation areas on 19 September 2018. The Inpres has been reenacted twice, each effective for three years, since September 2018.

The economic coordinating ministry’s  Deputy in charge of food and agribusiness coordination, Dida Gardera said in Jakarta recently that after the transfer of government from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) to President Prabowo Subianto, the moratorium policy is still effective until now. “De facto we continue. So, there will be new license for new palm plantation areas,” he said on the sidelines of national seminar, which is organized by the Indonesian Palm Oil House (RSI) on Monday (18/11/2024).

Asked whether the palm moratorium policy will be applied permanently, Dida said that the government will conduct a thorough evaluation on the policy. “But now our priority is to optimize intensification efforts and replanting program, which is focused on smallholders’ plantations,” he said.

According to him, during the period of 2016 until October 2024, the government has distributed a total fund for replanting at Rp9.85 trillion to 158,000 smallholders with a total plantation areas of 357,000 hectares.

Based on data from the government, Indonesia has a total plantation areas of 16.8 million hectares. In 2023, its palm oil exports reached US$25.61 billion, making it as the backbone of national economy. It was reported that the government is likely to push the expansion of oil palm plantations, which is seen necessary to compensate the potential decrease of exports as a result of the implementation of mandatory program of B40 and B50 during the next two years. (*)

sawitku.id (2024). Pemerintah Pastikan Moratorium sawit Tetap Berlanjut. https://www.sawitku.id/nasional/81413975366/pemerintah-pastikan-moratorium-sawit-tetap-berlanjut : 18 November 2024