InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Yanto Santosa, a professor at the Faculty of Forestry at the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB), emphasized that the One Map Policy is essential for regulating palm oil land in Indonesia. This aligns with the implementation of Presidential Regulation No. 5 of 2025 concerning the regulation of forest areas.
According to Yanto, land regulation must be conducted wisely, considering the sustainability of the palm oil industry at local, national, and international levels.
“The One Map Policy initiated by the previous government must be enforced to be completed promptly. This way, there will be a single reference map that all parties agree upon. Currently, the Ministry of Forestry has its own map, and the Ministry of Transmigration has its own map,” Yanto stated in an official statement in Jakarta on Monday, March 10, 2025.
He stressed that the Forest Area Regulation Task Force must operate based on officially established forest area maps. The use of unverified maps could lead to legal uncertainties and conflicts of interest.
Importance of Forest Area Confirmation
Yanto explained that confirming forest areas is a crucial step in establishing the legal status of a region as a forest area. Ideally, this process should involve all stakeholders bordering the area.
“The designation of forest areas should not be unilateral, as has happened so far. There must be legitimacy from various parties, including the community,” he said.
Data from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) indicates that out of a total of 16.38 million hectares of palm oil plantations in Indonesia, approximately 3.3 million hectares are located within forest areas. Therefore, careful inventorying must be conducted to ensure proper land regulation within forest areas.
Public consultations are also mandatory to ensure transparency and avoid social conflicts. Local communities and stakeholders need to be given the opportunity to provide input or objections regarding the designation of forest areas.
After the boundary-setting process and public consultations, the government will establish forest areas through a decree from the Minister of Environment and Forestry. This decree will include the boundaries and functions of the forest areas, whether as protected forests, conservation forests, or production forests.
Support for Presidential Regulation No. 5 of 2025
Furthermore, Yanto stated that philosophically, Presidential Regulation No. 5 of 2025 has good intentions in regulating forest areas. However, he reminded that the regulations in the Job Creation Law also provide solutions with penalties as outlined in Articles 110A and 110B.
“This should be a mutually beneficial solution (win-win solution). We must not allow the state to seize land that has long been managed by the community just because of a presidential regulation without a clear mechanism,” he emphasized.
With the proper implementation of the One Map Policy, it is hoped that the regulation of forest areas can proceed more transparently and equitably for all parties. (T2)
