Coordinating Minister for the Economy to Evaluate Forest Area Relinquished for Palm Plantation

In a bid to improve management of a sustainable palm plantation, provide legal certainty, maintain and preserve environment including reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and increase palm plantation productivity, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on 19 September 2018 signed Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2018 on Postponement and Evaluation of Palm Plantation Permits and Increasing Productivity of Palm Plantations.

Based on the Presidential Instruction, President Jokowi instructed Coordinating Minister for the Economy to  coordinate in the postponement and evaluation of palm plantation permits and increasing productivity of palm plantations by verifying data of relinquishment forest area for palm plantation, Map of Plantation Permit or Plantation Business License, Location Permit, and Right-to-cultivate Permit (HGU).

“Conduct synchronization with One Map Policy regarding the match between: permits issued by ministries/institutions and by regional government, Plantation Permit and HGU, and decision letters regarding forest area designation and HGU,” the first dictum of the Presidential Instruction reads.

President Jokowi also instructed Coordinating Minister for the Economy to submit results of the coordination to ministers, governors, and regents/mayors in the decision making according to their respective authorities on:

1. Re-classification of forest area that have been relinquished or exchanged back as forest area;
2. Determination of forest area that have been relinquished as state land;
3. Norms, Standards, Procedures, Criteria (NSPK) for Plantation Permit or Plantation Business License;
4. Determination of abandoned land and suspension of HGU issuance; and/or
5. Legal measures and/or compensation for unlawful use of forest area for palm plantation based on verification and evaluation of forest area relinquished or exchanged for palm plantation.

The President also instructed Coordinating Minister for the Economy to establish Working Team in the implementation of the aforementioned points.

“This Presidential Instruction shall apply as of the date of its promulgation,” reads the last dictum of Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2018 promulagated in Jakarta on the date of 19 September 2018.  (Pusdatin/ES) (RAS/MMB/Naster)