Minister of Agriculture Suswono supported the request of the Jambi provincial administration for the central government to reallocate the revenue from CPO tax to the industry to finance infrastructure development, promotional and campaign activities, and research.
Bisnis-sumatera.com reported on Wednesday that the minister had sent a letter, a copy of which was obtained by the news portal, on December 23, 2011 to the Minister of Finance.
Suswono said that the palm oil industry plays a crucial role in the country’s economy, and it is important to further develop the sector. “Based on this consideration, we fully support the request of the Jambi Governor if it does not move against existing regulations,” the minister said in the letter.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Smallholder Oil Palm Association (Apkasindo) Asmar Arsjad said that all 18 oil palm-producing provinces have made similar request for the government to use the proceeds from the CPO tax revenue to help finance programs to develop the sector. (rei)
