Indonesia to fine palm oil companies operating in forests
Indonesian authorities said on December 22 that they will fine palm oil companies operating within forest areas with a total sum of 4.8 trillion IDR (310.1 million USD).
Harvesting palm oil in Kuta Makmur district of Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: AFP/VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Indonesian authorities said on December 22 that they will fine palm oil companies operating within forest areas with a total sum of 4.8trillion IDR (310.1 million USD).
More than 475 billion IDR in fines have beenissued so far, an official from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investmentsaid.
Indonesia noted last month thatit had identified some 200,000hectares of oil palm plantations in areasdesignated as forests, and those plantations are set to be returned to thestate to be converted back into forests.
Officials said the measures were necessary as some companies have already been tending the land for years.
In 2020, Indonesia, the world’s biggest palm oilproducer and exporter, issued rules to sort out the legality of plantationsoperating in areas that are supposed to be forests with a view to fixing governance in the sector./.
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Harvesting palm oil in Kuta Makmur district of Aceh province, Indonesia. (Photo: AFP/VNA) 
