Greenpeace Assesses Palm Funds Can Be Transferred to Research

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - Greenpeace Indonesia considers palm fund management for a number of biofuel industry companies not well targeted, so that palm oil management can be diverted for research in order to increase palm production.

"The fund should focus on research, development and rejuvenation in order to improve the quality and capacity of existing palm oil plantations," said Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Campaigner Asep Komarudin in a written statement in Jakarta on Sunday (18/2/2018).

According to him, there is no need for palm oil clearing in peat lands or in forest areas, as clearing of oil palms is often a factor in forest fires and peat land disasters.

He also said that during January-September 2017, there were five large palm oil companies that received funds amounting to Rp7, 5 trillion through the Board of Oil Palm Plantation Fund (BPDPKS).

He said based on Presidential Regulation No. 24 of 2016 on the Collection and Use of Oil Palm Plantation Fund signed by President Joko Widodo, regulated about the use of these funds.

In Article 11 paragraph (1) mentioned, the funds collected are for the development of human resources, research and development of oil palm plantation, promotion of oil palm plantation, plantation rejuvenation, and oil palm plantation.

While in paragraph (2) explained that the use of funds, also used for food needs, industry downstream and biofuels type bio-diesel utilization.

"We view the land conversion and subsidy system for the provision of biofuel is not appropriate. It should be subsidized for it can be used for food security or even answer the needs of independent palm farmers," said Asep.