InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – According to data coordinate outcome of Sawit Rekonsiliasi Nasional 2019, palm oil plantations were laying on 16,37 million hectares in Indonesia. But, 3,37 million hectares were illegal because they were in forest regions.
General Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF), Bambang Hendroyono said, 3,37 million hectares of the plantations were in many forests 1,12 million hectares were in Hutan Produksi Dapat Dikonversi (HPK), 1,49 million hectares were in Hutan Produksi Tetap (HPT), and 501 thousand hectares were in Hutan Produksi Tetap (HP).
He also said, 155 thousand hectares were in protected forests. 91 thousand hectares were in conservation forests. 3,37 million hectares belonged to many, starting from the companies, cooperation, and the people.
MEF would have mercy to the owners of the 3,37 million hectares so that they continue operate their business.
The absolution in environment sector refers to Chapter 110A and Chapter Regulation Number 11 / 2020 about Cipta Kerja. “Chapter 110A claimed, the companies that already operate in forest regions but have Business Permit, they can continue operate if they complete every condition in maximally three years,” Bambang said in the meeting with Commission IV Indonesian Legislators in Jakarta, Monday (22/8/2022).
Chapter 110B mentioned, the companies which already operated in forest regions without Business Permit could continue operate if they pay administrative fine.
He classified the numbers - 3,37 million hectares are illegal based on the two chapters. “In Chapter 110A we have to get the owners to pay Non-Tax Revenue and the Forest Resource Provision and in Chapter 110B we would get them to pay the administrative fine,” Bambang said.
Meanwhile Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) criticized what MEF for having mercy on the environment sector. Walhi thought, it is illegal for using the Regulation Number 11 / 2020. The legal product has been stated illegal with some conditions by Constitutional Court.
“What MEF does is the disobedience of constitution. This is not right at all before the law because the Regulation Number 11 / 2020 is not available still,” Forest and Plantation Campaigner Walhi, Uli Arta Siagian said in July 2022, as quoted from Republika.
Boru Siagian thought, delivering mercy to the companies would be worse to the social and environment. Besides the sentence is contradictive still with the big plan of the government to reduce carbon emission in forest sector. (T2)
