New central government regulations will allow mining and palm oil plantation companies with regional licenses to buy their concessions in state-controlled forests.

The regulations, No. 60/2012 on forest conversions and No. 61/2012 on forest utilization, stipulate that mining and palm oil businesses that started operation before the enactment of the Law on Spatial Planning and Forest Utilization Permits in 2007 can own their concessions in state forests.

“Plantation and mining companies that have the privilege to acquire forested areas are only those who already have licenses from local governments before the [law] was issued,” Tri Joko Mulyono, the director of spatial planning at the Forestry Ministry, said recently.