Coordinating Minister Airlangga Says BPDPKS Will Be Turned Into BPDP

JAKARTA - The government will expand the role of the Palm Oil Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDPKS) to become the Plantation Fund Management Agency (BPDP) so that it does not only deal with palm oil funds, but also other plantation products such as coconut, cocoa, and rubber.

Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the conversion was aimed at increasing the yields of the plantation sector in each region through fund management which was not only focused on oil palm plantations.

"That's why yesterday our BPDPKS will convert into BPDP. Plant financing includes cocoa, coconut and rubber. So if we look at coconut, rubber, cocoa left behind with palm oil, even though this is the same genre," said Airlangga when met after the Commemorative Anniversary of the 58th Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Thursday, July 25.

Later, said Airlangga, BPDP will be assigned to revitalize other plant commodities, especially cocoa, coconut and rubber plantations.

According to him, the management of plantation funds is needed to maximize the plantation products of each region in Indonesia evenly to provide raw materials for other industries.

Airlangga gave an example, cocoa plantations in Sumatra and Kalimantan which have more potential to be developed again.

Yesterday our garden will also encourage the cocoa industry for us to boost it again. Kakao has 800,000 gardens at peak (peen). But now it is below 200,000. So that when our industry builds it, there is less raw material," he concluded.