JAKARTA. The government is planning moratorium policy of opening new oil palm plantation especially in forest areas to be effective in five years.

Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution said moratorium is ruled to concentrate more on replanting and improvement of productivity.

"We want to redress the system in the development of the oil palm plantation including improving productivity and replanting," Darmin said after chairing a meeting on withholding license for new oil palm plantations, Friday (15/7).

Taking part in the coordination meeting were Minister for the Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, Trade Minister Thomas Lembong, Industry Minister Saleh Husin and Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Lay out/head of the National Land Office Ferry Mursidan Baldan and leaders of palm oil companies.

Darmin said the moratorium is the continuation of the program postponing the opening of land for new oil palm plantations effective as from 2011.

"This time we have to prepare data. It happens we already have the Program of One Map Policy and the map. Therefore we hope this policy could be operational more effectively," he said.

He said the availability of data is crucial in the implementation of the planned moratorium as without the data it would be difficult to solve any problem in the field.

"We will also include standard such as ISPO (Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil System). Therefore, no need to worry too much as there would be a period of transition," he said.

Minister Siti Nurbaya said the government will issue a presidential instruction for the implementation of the program requiring all ministries to take any necessary steps in line with their respective functions.

"There would be no license to use forest and peat lands for oil palm plantations," she said.

The drafting of the presidential Instruction and the Inpres norms about moratorium for forest and peat lands to be used for oil palm plantation are expected to be ready in the next coordinating meeting.

Editor: Sanny Cicilia