Gerindra Supports President Jokowi's Policy To Ban CPO Exports

Secretary General of Gerindra Ahmad Muzani/DOK ANTARA

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the Gerindra Party DPP Ahmad Muzani supports President Joko Widodo's policy of strictly prohibiting the export of cooking oil and its raw materials, including crude palm oil (CPO).

"The scarcity of migraine (cooking oil) and the high price of migraine in the market will be overcome by the presidential decree. Therefore, problems that arise in the community can be resolved immediately," he said in a written statement quoted by Antara, Thursday, April 28.

According to him, the decision will have a positive impact on the fulfillment of domestic cooking oil needs and the implication that people can enjoy cooking oil at affordable prices.

This policy, he continued, is the government's priority so that Indonesia's sovereignty as the largest CPO producer country is no longer questioned. He said the policy would have an impact on decreasing state revenues from CPO exports, and even CPO production could decline, including cooking oil.

"As a result, the absorption of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) from oil palm farmers will decrease, so the income of oil palm farmers will also decrease," he said.

However, he said, policies that prioritize domestic interests and needs must take precedence because there is no perfect policy without causing problems.

The policy regarding the ban on CPO exports raises two sides, namely there are those who benefit and there are also those who are disadvantaged.

The Deputy Chairperson of the MPR invited all parties to support the CPO export ban policy because the President's decision had been carefully considered. Muzani said it was necessary for palm oil entrepreneurs not to question the President's decision to ban the export of CPO.