JAKARTA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian government plans to issue a presidential decree for stopping enlargement of palm oil plantation and increasing productivity. Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko said on Tuesday that coordination and discussion would be held with ministries to draft the decree on halt of opening new plantation and evaluation of the existing licenses in palm oil sector. With the planned policy, the government expects one of Indonesia's major exported commodity to boost productivity, said Moeldoko. Currently the productivity of the palm oil plantation in the country is only 2 to 4 tons per hectare per year and the government plans to double it to 8 tons per hectare every year, he said. That compares with 10 tons per hectare in Malaysia. "The measures to raise productivity is in line with President Joko Widodo guidance in replanting palm oil plantations," said Moeldoko. Indonesia produces 38.17 million ton crude palm oil in 2017 and 35.57 million ton in 2016, according to data from the country's palm oil association.
Indonesia is considering a ban on the enlargement of palm oil plantations and a review of existing licences to help increase productivity. The Indonesian government has also been criticised for its failure to protect orangutans from illegal logging in Borneo - an area home to more than half of all Sumatran tigers, which are threatened by habitat loss Indonesia produced 38 million tons of crude palm oil in 2017, an increase on the previous year.