Indonesia will issue a moratorium on new palm oil, mining concessions

[JAKARTA] Indonesia will issue a moratorium on new palm oil and mining concessions, President Joko Widodo said, among efforts to reduce environmental impact from the two sectors.

"They can no longer ask for concessions for palm oil mining," Mr Joko told reporters on Thursday.

He said he had spoken to related ministers regarding the plan but stopped short of providing a timeline for the move.

"There must no longer be any mining concessions that run into conservation forest areas," Mr Joko said.

He added that based on the government's calculations, the area already issued to oil palm growers could be more than twice as productive, "provided they use the right seeds".

REUTERS