Regent Wants To Sue Rp25 Per Kg TBS Sawit, Farmers: The Time Is Not Right, Price Is Arriving

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Regents in palm-producing areas want to collect levies from the price of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) of palm oil in the amount of Rp. 25 per kilogram (Kg). In response to this, farmers who are members of the Indonesian Palm Oil Farmers Association (Apkasindo) consider that this is not appropriate at this time.

The head of Apkasindo Wrest Manurung said that 17 million palm oil farmers were sad to hear this information. This is because this desire was conveyed in the midst of the current tough conditions experienced by farmers. Where the price of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) for palm oil at the farmer level has fallen, at the level of Rp1,000 per kilogram.

"Those who sit in the association (AKPSI) are the regents. The regent still thinks like that when the people are crying, when the people are having a hard time how come they have time to collect Rp25 from the price of TBS farmers, it's not right on time, Mr. Regent," he told reporters, Friday, July 8.

Furthermore, Wrestling said that if the demand for levies was submitted when the price of TBS had returned to normal, it might be considered. However, said Wrest, the request was not appropriate to be submitted to the government, farmers should be invited to speak.

"If later after returning to normal, you submit something like this, maybe it can be considered. The application certainly is not with the government but we will discuss fellow organizations. If you ask the government to ask, the state budget will not submit it to our TBS prices," he said.

In the current conditions, said Wrestling, local governments should help the central government resolve existing problems comprehensively.

"It should be concerned that the government will solve this problem with various strategies that have been conveyed by experts a lot. Such as reducing the tax burdens contained in it and also the burden of export levies and not even by (admitting) Rp. 25 per kg of TBS. Moreover, it is charged to oil palm farmers," he said.

For your information, the requests of regional heads to be given the authority to withdraw levies from the price of palm oil TBS amounting to Rp25 per kg were conveyed by the Indonesian Palm Recipients Association (AKSPI) in a coordination meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut binsar Panjaitan on Thursday, July 7.

At that time, AKPSI Chairman Yulhaidir said that the levy of Rp25 per kilogram could increase local revenue (PAD).

"We have asked the central government that each district is given the authority to collect Rp25 from the TBS price. To increase justice in their respective districts," he said, quoted Friday, July 8.

According to Yulhaidir, the Rp25 per kilogram levy will not burden oil palm farmers. Because, his party has thought about it and decided on the lowest number.

"That's the lowest we asked for. We don't want to stop the people either," he said.

Furthermore, Yulhaidir said that currently there is already Law Number 1 of 2022 which regulates the profit sharing of oil palm plantations but for the proposed retribution collection from the price of FFB. However, it is necessary to agree and make a Presidential Regulation to the Regulation of the Minister of Finance.

Yulhaidir also said that the levy levy was motivated because the government of oil palm buzzers felt it was unfair. This is because so far the district has not received a profit sharing from the palm oil sector.

"That's why we ask that the law be implemented with PP or with Permenkeu so that regions also get profit-sharing funds from the palm oil sector and its derivatives," he explained.