InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA - Ombudsman RI sent official documents to Minister of Environment and Forestry by suggesting to postpone deadline for submitting complete licensing requirements for palm oil stakeholders that were indicated to operate in illegal areas of forestry regions, that should end on 2 November 2023. The policy would potentially raise mal-administration knowing that there are issues about forest region status.

Member of Ombudsman RI, Yeka Hendra Fatika suggested that Minister of Environment and Forestry should publish discretion to postpone deadline within some considerations. “Ombudsman suggested Minister of Environment and Forestry to publish discretion of deadline by considering that Ministry of Environment and Forestry is in charge on forestry region stewardship. It would deliver certainty of rights on land for institution(s)/people to be claimed as in forest regions or not,” Yeka said, as in the official statement to  InfoSAWIT, Thursday (2/11/2023).

The second consideration, he continued, is that palm oil plantation business requirements for institution(s) or people could be required after forest regions have been decided (published).

He said, if institution(s) or people are stated to develop palm oil plantations in forest regions with forest regions decision, it can be continued by completing permit requirements in forestry sectors.

“Discretion can be done by delivering objective reasons, such as, taken from the facts and factual condition, not in partisanship but rational, and from the good governance principles,” Yeka said. (T2)