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Indonesia could collect up to USD 8.5 billion in fines by 2026 from palm oil and mining companies found to be operating illegally in forest areas. (Photo: iStock)
Indonesia could collect up to USD 8.5 billion in fines by 2026 from palm oil producers and mining companies found to be operating illegally in forest areas, Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin said on Wednesday. The operation is being called the government’s largest forest enforcement effort.
The government’s forest enforcement task force has already seized control of 4.1 million hectares of illegal plantations and mines involving 20 palm oil companies and one nickel miner, said Burhanuddin. The area reclaimed is roughly equivalent in size to the Netherlands, underscoring the scale of long-standing land-use violations.
Millions of hectares transferred as enforcement accelerates
The task force has so far transferred more than USD 139 million in fines to the finance ministry, collected from the same group of companies, said Burhanuddin. Meanwhile, nearly 4 million hectares of reclaimed land are being processed under the fifth phase of the government’s handover programme, which will see 896,969 hectares of former palm oil plantations transferred to relevant ministries and state agencies for further management.
