Monday (04/11), Gemawan Institute with Independent Journalists Alliance (AJI) of Pontianak held a discussion entitled Accelerating Forest and Land Governance Improvement through the Implementation of Presidential Instruction No. 8/2018 (Moratorium of Palm Oil License) in West Kalimantan. The activity presented resource persons from Provincial Forestry Department of West Kalimantan, Province Plantation Department of West Kalimantan, Elpagar Institute and Gemawan.
According to Rahmawati from Gemawan Institute, the activity which took place at Hotel Santika Pontianak aims to update the processes, achievements and challenges of Presidential Instruction No. 8/2018 implementation in West Kalimantan. Moreover, this discussion also aims to build synergy between the stakeholders in encouraging improvements on forest and land governance in West Kalimantan by taking advantage of the Presidential Instruction momentum.
“Especially regarding data, we have to synchronize from one source to other sources existing in West Kalimantan,” the woman activist of Gemawan Institute stated.
The Government of the Republic of Indonesia has issued the Moratorium of Palm Oil License several times. The most current one was Presidential Instruction No. 08/2018 concerning the Postponement and Evaluation of Oil Palm Plantation License and Productivity Improvement of Oil Palm Plantations. Rahma explained that this Presidential Instruction was an entry point for all parties, especially local governments, to make improvement on the management of oil palm license.
“There are still many chaotic issues in the management of oil palm license, such as unprocedural permits to enter forest and peat areas; overlaps among investment licenses; land conflicts with indigenous and local communities; unclear license status of whether it is active or not; as well as land fires inside the concession, “he added more.
The activity which took place until afternoon was attended by the participants from CSOs, university students, and journalists concerning about forest and land governance improvement issues in West Kalimantan.