InfoSAWIT BOGOR – The deadline to solve palm oil plantations in forest regions is no longer available. According to Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja (UUCK), which has been substituted to be Government Regulation in lieu of Law of UUCK, on 2 November 2023 was the deadline to the case both in Chapter 110A and Chapter 110B.

Prior General Secretary of Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MEF), Bambang Hendroyono said that 90 percent of palm oil planters (corporates) whose palm oil plantations were indicated to operate in forest regions, have dealt to get their permit. Besides, it is known that 200.000 hectares illegal palm oil plantations are in Protected Forest and Conservation Forest. They have to pay administrative fine and recovery costs to the country and returned back to the country (Chapter 110 B). Returning palm oil plantations to the country is the commitment of the country to control climate change.

Director of Sawit Watch, Achmad Surambo mentioned his institution thought that palm oil solution in forest regions is covered up and not transparent. The public has no enough information to know what the progresses were. The civil society should actually monitor what has happened.

“In the decision published by Ministry of Environment and Forestry about legal subjects that are indicated in forest regions and should get solution through Chapter 110 A and 110 B UUCK, the public cannot access,” he said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Friday (3/11/2023).

The institution also rejected palm oil plantation bleaching in forest regions because this could be something bigger for the company to do the same violation in the future. Palm oil plantation bleaching can cause implication of uncertainty of law and would create additional impacts to get solution on the people’s areas in forest regions.

“The solution should apply the mechanism in Undang-Undang Pencegahan dan Pemberantasan Pengrusakan Hutan (UU P3H). In September 2023, we registered to get material test of the chapter about palm oil plantation bleaching in forest regions to Supreme Court. This would be our effort to confirm that palm oil corporates would not ignore their responsibility on disobedience and violation that happened for years ago. But until now we do not get the result or deadline of our claim,” Surambo said. (T2)