InfoSAWIT, PEMATANG SIANTAR – To escalate palm oil breeding governance in Indonesia, Ombudsman Indonesian Republic launched monitoring initiative on smallholders replanting program (SRP) that Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (PO PFMA) managed. This would be about to prevent mal-administration in the crucial program and for the sustainability in palm oil sectors in this country.
Yeka Hendra Fatika, the member of Ombudsman said that in a discussion at Pusat Penelitian Kelapa Sawit (PPKS) Unit Marihat, City of Pematang Siantar, North Sumatera Province on Wednesday (4/9/2024). He emphasized the monitoring initiative would be from the institution’s idea because it would need good governance in the cultivation phase that started from the upstream to downstream sectors.
SRP was formulated to improve the smallholders’ palm oil plantation by planting more superior seeds, minimize the risks to get new planting illegally. With the funds that PO PFMA gathered, managed, and distributed, the program would be about to escalate plantation productivity without any new planting.
“Ombudsman knew that the seeds using the funds from PFMA would be the form of public service. That is why the implementation process needs monitoring closely to confirm that the service would be qualified,” Yeka said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Thursday (5/9/2024).
He continued that the smallholders would have the rights to get qualified and certified seeds as part of SRP that the government regulated. Ombudsman thought it would be significant to monitor and prevent mal-administration so the smallholders’ rights would be maximally realized.
Zaid Burhan Ibrahim, Director of Risk Management, Obidience, and Public Finance, PO PFMA, appreciated what Ombudsman would do. He emphasized PO PFMA would need the good and open governance to get inputs from many related parties.
“We do support the study by Ombudsman because the external perspective would be the need to improve nowadays (plantation) governance,” Zaid said.
By having closer monitoring and the ways to increase (plantation/industrial) governance, SRP should effectively run well, massively deliver advantages for the smallholders, and support sustainable palm oil industries in Indonesia. (T2)
