May 27, 2013. /Lesprom Network/. The government of Indonesia has decided to extend the exiting legislation which place a ban on forest clearing. This decision is despite strong lobbying from the powerful oil palm and mining sectors which have been seeking to have the current restrictions lifted so as to expand their operations, ITTO reported.

Indonesia has been under considerable pressure to halt deforestation and destruction of peat land habitats.

A Presidential Decree was signed on May 13 2013. The decree demonstrates the commitment of the government to extend the land clearing moratorium for natural forest and peat land forest in conservation forests, protected forests and production forests.

Analysts point out that enforcing the regulations in the current legislation has been a problem as there were many cutting permits issued prior to the entry into force of the clearing ban and because of forest boundary issues where the extent of protected forests has been disputed.

Activists had been encouraging the government to quickly renew the forest clearing ban as they say oil palm plantation companies still have large areas of, as yet, unplanted land.