The delay of a scheduled moratorium on forest conversion that was supposed to be enforced at the beginning of the year is the result of lobbying by businesses operating in the country’s forests, an official says.

Head of the presidential taskforce on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD plus) Kuntoro Mungkusubroto said that the lobbyists included people from mining companies and oil palm plantations who were seeking to protect their own interests.

“Our move [on the forest moratorium] has been sharply observed by lobbyists such as mining companies and oil palm plantations,” Kuntoro said as quoted by Antara news agency on Tuesday.