Indonesia’s halt to palm oil expansion set to expire soon

President Joko Widodo ordered a stop to permit issuance for new plantations and expansion of existing ones for three years.

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s moratorium on new oil palm plantation permits is set to expire this week as the industry awaits clarity on whether the government will extend the policy.

President Joko Widodo ordered a stop to permit issuance for new plantations and expansion of existing ones for three years in a decree signed Sept. 19, 2018. That order expanded on an earlier ban on permits for plantations on primary forest and peat land.