Minister of the Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya: Protecting Peatlands is an Absolute Must

Government Regulation No. 57/ 2016 has become the subject of intense debate. The provisions which regulate the protection and management of the peatland ecosystem is widely being questioned because business-people believe it could bring financial losses to companies in the commercial forest industry and oil palm plantations. Despite widespread protest, Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya is not harboring second thoughts. She said that the policy was in line with instructions given by President Joko Widodo. "The message from the President was that peatlands must be protected," Siti told a Tempo team when interviewed her at her office, last week.