Indonesia's freeze on palm oil plantation permits lacks transparency- industry watchdog

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Indonesia's freeze on palm oil plantation permits lacks transparency, making it difficult to assess its effectiveness, and the government should provide updated information, an industry watchdog official told Reuters.

In September last year the Indonesian government issued a presidential instruction to place a temporary ban on new permits for palm plantations for three years in a bid to protect the country's tropical forests. The moratorium also gave the government authority to review existing licenses, and revoke them if the area has not yet been cleared.