Plantation bill deliberation to start soon<\/p>\n
Leony Aurora , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government is ready to start discussing the controversial
\nplantation bill with the House of Representatives later this
\nmonth, according to a senior legislator.<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has sent a letter confirming
\nthe government's readiness and has appointed the Minister of
\nAgriculture to represent the government in debating the bill,
\nsaid SM Tampubolon, a member of House Commission III for
\nplantation, agriculture and fisheries, which is tasked with the
\ndeliberation.<\/p>\n
The minister will come to the House in a week or two to convey
\nthe government's views on the bill, said Tampubolon on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that by May or June, the deliberation will be
\ncompleted and the bill endorsed,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The plantation bill, which was written at the House's
\ninitiative, has apparently come under fire from all stakeholders
\nsince its announcement in 2002.<\/p>\n
The bill states that the maximum and minimum area of land for
\nplantations is to be determined by the minister.<\/p>\n
\"This will be regulated based on the potential of each
\nprovince,\" said Tampubolon.<\/p>\n
Economic analyst Lin Che Wei pointed out that there was
\nalready a regulation, Ministerial Decree No. 357\/2002, which
\nregulated the maximum area of plantations at 20,000 hectares in a
\nprovince, or 100,000 hectares throughout Indonesia.<\/p>\n
\"Under the transitional stipulation in the bill, the decree
\nwill remain in effect,\" said Che Wei, director of consulting firm
\nIndependent Research Advisory.<\/p>\n
It would be difficult for plantation companies to manage land
\nspread all over the country, he said.<\/p>\n
Another controversy involves the chapter on concession
\nperiods. While plantation companies say that a 35-year concession
\nperiod -- renewable for another 25 years with the minister's
\napproval -- is too short, several non-governmental organizations
\n(NGOs) claim the period was too long and would make plantation
\ncompanies practically owners, not just users of the land.<\/p>\n
In comparison, concession periods are 90 years in both China
\nand Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Farmers are wary of a chapter that prohibits any actions that
\nmight disrupt plantation activities. The reclaiming of land by
\nlocal communities can be regarded as such, and would be
\npunishable by five years imprisonment and a Rp 5 billion
\n(US$588,235) fine if the bill is passed.<\/p>\n
Data provided by NGOs show that 1,000 land disputes between
\nplantation owners and farmers were raised between 1998 and 2002.<\/p>\n
Che Wei questioned whether deliberations on the bill would be
\ncompleted during the current session, which will end soon.<\/p>\n
\"We want an ideal plantation law. If that can't be achieved
\nnow, deliberations should roll over into the next session,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/plantation-bill-deliberation-to-start-soon-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}