Plantation bill deliberation to start soon
Plantation bill deliberation to start soon
Leony Aurora , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government is ready to start discussing the controversial
plantation bill with the House of Representatives later this
month, according to a senior legislator.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has sent a letter confirming
the government's readiness and has appointed the Minister of
Agriculture to represent the government in debating the bill,
said SM Tampubolon, a member of House Commission III for
plantation, agriculture and fisheries, which is tasked with the
deliberation.
The minister will come to the House in a week or two to convey
the government's views on the bill, said Tampubolon on Thursday.
"We hope that by May or June, the deliberation will be
completed and the bill endorsed," he added.
The plantation bill, which was written at the House's
initiative, has apparently come under fire from all stakeholders
since its announcement in 2002.
The bill states that the maximum and minimum area of land for
plantations is to be determined by the minister.
"This will be regulated based on the potential of each
province," said Tampubolon.
Economic analyst Lin Che Wei pointed out that there was
already a regulation, Ministerial Decree No. 357/2002, which
regulated the maximum area of plantations at 20,000 hectares in a
province, or 100,000 hectares throughout Indonesia.
"Under the transitional stipulation in the bill, the decree
will remain in effect," said Che Wei, director of consulting firm
Independent Research Advisory.
It would be difficult for plantation companies to manage land
spread all over the country, he said.
Another controversy involves the chapter on concession
periods. While plantation companies say that a 35-year concession
period -- renewable for another 25 years with the minister's
approval -- is too short, several non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) claim the period was too long and would make plantation
companies practically owners, not just users of the land.
In comparison, concession periods are 90 years in both China
and Malaysia.
Farmers are wary of a chapter that prohibits any actions that
might disrupt plantation activities. The reclaiming of land by
local communities can be regarded as such, and would be
punishable by five years imprisonment and a Rp 5 billion
(US$588,235) fine if the bill is passed.
Data provided by NGOs show that 1,000 land disputes between
plantation owners and farmers were raised between 1998 and 2002.
Che Wei questioned whether deliberations on the bill would be
completed during the current session, which will end soon.
"We want an ideal plantation law. If that can't be achieved
now, deliberations should roll over into the next session," he
said.