Warta Ekonomi.co.id, Merauke – The Presidential Staff of The Republic of Indonesia made a work visit to Merauke Regency, Papua, last Thursday (13/12/2018) to see the development of palm oil industry located in the area. From the visit, it is found that there are still obstacles in plasma plantation development due to negative campaign by foreign NGOs.
Following the Coordination Meeting held in the Merauke Regent’s Office, Iwan Nurdin from the Presidential Staff Office through the Team for the Acceleration of Agrarian Conflict Resolution (TPPKA) stated that his team received reports from the community regarding the slow progress of plasma development.
Meanwhile, there are also reports from the companies saying that the plasma development cannot be done due to campaign with allegations of deforestation.
For example, the deforestation campaign from the United States-based NGO, Mighty Earth against business units owned by Korindo Group.
The Presidential Staff Office of TPPKA made a visit to Merauke because of the alarming potential of social conflict due to plasma plantations that have not been developed.
“We are concerned this would instead trigger social issues, because the surrounding community was promised plasma plantations,” he said through an official release received by Warta Ekonomi in Jakarta, Friday (21/12/2018).
He continued by saying that the purpose of this visit is to find a solution and understand why plasma plantations as an obligation have not yet been developed.
“Whereas plasma plantations are an obligation which is already regulated in the plantation regulation,” said Iwan Nurdin.
Present in the meeting, the Team for the Acceleration of Agrarian Conflict Resolution (TPPKA), Iwan Nurdin and Sandoro Purba, the Regional Secretary of Merauke Regency, Daniel Pauta, the company representatives, Abraham Yolmen as the indigenous rights owner in PT Dongin Prabhawa and Richard Nosai Koula as the indigenous rights owner in PT Papua Agro Lestari (PAL).
Both companies are business units of Korindo Group located in Papua.
In the Coordination Meeting, Iwan confirmed that his team will take steps needed in the acceleration process to avoid the potential of agragrian conflict in the future.
Meanwhile, Tulus Sianipar, who represents the company said that his team welcomed TPPKA’s intention and will continue to comply with all the rules and regulations applied in the Republic of Indonesia.
To follow up the meeting, there will be held a follow-up Coordination Meeting with the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK), the companies, community, regional government, and all related parties so the development acceleration as a comprehensive solution needed by the community will soon be realized.
“We are concerned, because the community was promised plasma plantations, the community leaders promised plasma plantations to their community. Meanwhile, the companies cannot develop the plasma plantations due to the allegation saying that the plantation development, particularly land clearing, is considered deforestation. Whereas the permits and readiness are complete. This could trigger social conflict within the community. We must start a common solution soon,” he said.
Source : wartaekonomi.co.id
