InfoSAWIT, JAKARTA – Palm oil plantation company, Astra Agro (AALI) as the subsidiary of Astra International, officially released comprehensive report by third independent party as the response to what civil (organizations) accused about three subsidiaries (of AALI) that operate in Sulawesi. The complaints were about the report published by Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (Walhi) and Friends of the Earth (FoE) in 2022.
In March 2023, AALI asked for Eco Nusantara (ENS) to get whole and independent review (about the complaints). During the process, the stakeholders got data and facts by having two week – update that the company published through its website.
AALI respected what ENS did to gather field facts and data for about eight months, understood the complexity and challenges in the process. The report also mentioned about the land mastery complexity that involved interaction not only between the company and the people (villagers) but also the dynamic among the villagers themselves. The detail of the comprehensive report can be seen through the company’s website.
During the investigation, ENS and AALI emphasized openness to every stakeholder’s participation and in specific, the two wanted to get additional proofs about complaints and claims from the villagers, individuals, and civil organizations.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) ENS, Zulfahmi said that in such complex independent assessment like what ENS did, they always encouraged every party, stakeholder, civil, to transparently cooperate to get real field facts. ENS respected every party’s decision during verification process.
Zulfahmi told ENS and AALI would open to get every available proof. ENS believed that every stakeholder should have the main thing needed, that is, to go forward.
“We do realize that there was no report that would deliver satisfaction for every party. But once again, we believe that AALI is open to get every clear information and evidences that other stakeholders have had and committed to get the best to solve every issue,” he said, as in the official statement to InfoSAWIT, Monday (27/11/2023).
Meanwhile, CEO AALI, Santosa said that AALI thought that what ENS verified would be the positive for every stakeholder, delivering comprehensive assessment about the accusation. AALI believed that the report would deliver description for other stakeholders what really happened in the field.
He also mentioned, AALI would focus on the time to assimilate and propose action plans to implement the recommendation in the report.
“We invite and encourage every party that is interest in or does care about solving the issue, or wants to help the villagers to be part of this process. We would publish every update in the process for every stakeholder,” Santosa said. (T2)
