The Palm Oil Industry Is Expected To Be Security Against Crisis

Illustration (Photo: Doc. Antara)

NUSA DUA - The Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (Gapki) said the domestic palm oil industry is ready to be a safeguard for the national economy in the face of a possible global crisis next year.

Head of the Taxation and Fiscal Division of the Indonesian Palm Oil Entrepreneurs Association (GAPKI) Bambang Aria Wisena said the palm oil industry has the ability to survive, as well as save the Indonesian economy amid various crisis attacks.

"The palm oil industry has contributed IDR 500 trillion to the income of the country's export foreign exchange every year. In addition, this commodity provides jobs for 16 million people," he said, quoted from Antara, Thursday, November 3.

In line with Bambang, Chairman of the Indonesian Employers' Association (Apindo) Haryadi B Sukamdani said the national palm oil industry does not recognize the crisis because it is a primary industry that produces food and other products, such as energy and other derivative products.

Twice through the economic crisis, he continued, currently the industry is capable of donating foreign exchange of up to US$35 billion and employment of up to 17 million heads of families.

However, he said, the national palm oil industry requires greater attention from the government, especially related ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) and the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag).

He gave an example of the policy to prohibit the export of crude palm oil (CPO) which was implemented some time ago which was considered detrimental to the national palm oil industry, instead of benefiting neighboring countries that are also palm oil producers.

Therefore, on that occasion Haryadi conveyed that GAPKI should be more harsh in voicing the actual conditions to the government so that in the future the palm oil industry will no longer be marginalized.