Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Government has to be prepared for discriminating policy of the European Union (EU) against Indonesian palm oil products, a law maker has warned.
"Actually the problem over palm oil is not a new issue for us, and the government should be able to cope with it," Taufiq Abdullah of the Commission IV of the Parliament said here on Friday.
The EU Parliament has approved a resolution banning the imports of palm oil products from Indonesia on allegation that oil palm plantation companies had caused extensive deforestation in the country.
Taufiq said as the world's largest palm oil producer Indonesia should be able to dictate the market "not the other way around with our palm oil treated with discrimination."
The politician of the Nation Awakening Party (PKB) said the added value of palm oil should be increased before being exported.
"The government should develop processing industries for crude palm oil that the farmers could fully earn the real value of their commodity," he said.
Earlier, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), speaking at the recent Summit Meeting commemorating the 40th anniversary of ASEAN-European Union partnership in Manila,asked the EU to put an end to discriminating policy against Indonesian palm oil products.
"The resolution of the EU Parliament and a number of European countries on oil palm and deforestation and black campaigns hurts not only the economy, but also the image of palm oil producing countries," the Jokowi was quoted as saying.
The president said oil palm plantations contributed much to efforts to eliminate poverty, reduce development gap and support inclusive economic development.
He said there are 17 million Indonesians making a living directly and indirectly from business related to palm oil, adding around 42 percent of oil palm plantations in Indonesia are owned by small farmers, he said.
Therefore, the president called for an end to all policies that hurt the economy and image of palm oil producing countries.
He said Indonesia also is well aware of the importance of economic and natural sustainability.
Indonesia has even implemented policy related to sustainability including the adoption of certification of Indonesia Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO), he pointed out. (WDY)
