Black Campaign on Palm Oil Disrupt Economic Stability

THE government is suggested to protect palm oil from disruption sounded by some NGOs, which are mostly foreign NGOs.

Black Campaign on Palm Oil Disrupt Economic Stability
THE government is suggested to protect palm oil from disruption sounded by some NGOs, which are mostly foreign NGOs. This is considered to be important not only to protect palm oil industry, which is a sensitive commodity for Indonesia, but also to maintain economic stability. “If the government doesn’t protect important commodity such as palm oil, one day palm oil will remain  a history as happened to spices that we know today only the story of its heydays,” Bhima Yudhistira, economist of Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (Indef) said in a ‘Impact of NGO’s campaign to Indonesia’s Economy’-themed discussion forum in Jakarta (7/10/2018). Bhima said in respond to foreign NGOs that frequently spread out black campaign on palm oil. One of them was conducted by Greenpeace who occupied a palm oil storage tank in Bitung, North Sumatera (25/1/0218). Their action was considered to disrupt the country’s sovereignty. According to Director General of Politic and Governance at Ministry of Home Affairs Soedarmo, governance of palm oil industry and plantation is Indonesia’s right that its sovereignty must not be disrupted. “Foreign NGOs can not easily accuse that palm oil has broken the law given the fact that the government has own urban planning.” That’s why Sudarsono Soedomo, a lecturer of Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), voiced concern about the need to know the motives behind their actions. `It is better for the government to investigate foreign NGOs that spread negative campaign and disrupt Indonesia’s economic stability.” Firman Subagyo, member of the House of Representatives (DPR) also voiced concern about the need to take a decisive action on the NGOs. “Their black campaign has given our commodity a bad name. Foreign Ministry has to make a decisive action.” ***