THE Indonesian government has not revoked the licences of 10 palm oil companies responsible for the largest areas of burned land, including a subsidiary of Malaysian-owned Genting Group, said environmental group Greenpeace.

Greenpeace’s Malaysian said a mapping analysis done by its Indonesian chapter showed that Genting Plantation Berhad’s subsidiary, PT Globalindo Agung Lestari as one of the 10 offenders.

“Ten palm oil companies with the largest areas of burned land between 2015 and 2018 have received no serious civil or administrative sanctions, new Greenpeace Indonesia mapping analysis revealed.

“Malaysian-owned Genting Group, via its subsidiary PT Globalindo Agung Lestari, was found to be among 10 companies listed as having the largest burned areas on their land in Indonesia.”

The Malaysian Insight has reached out to Genting Plantations for comments.

Greenpeace said not a single palm oil licence has been revoked nor have there been any serious sanctions against the companies.

A Greenpeace Indonesia investigation earlier this year showed that none of these companies taken to court by the government for their role in forest fires and illegal logging, only told to pay compensation.

The outstanding compensation amounts to US$1.2 billion (RM5.02 billion)

This year, fire hotspots have been recorded in many of these same palm oil and pulp concessions, said Greenpeace.

Meanwhile, an area larger than Singapore has been burned between 2015 and 2018 in a concession linked to Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) that is part of the Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas Group.

APP is responsible for more than 200 fire hotspots so far this year.

“This concession, which had the largest total burned area out of all concessions across Indonesia, was only sanctioned for replanting in previously burned areas,” it said.

Greenpeace also alleged that Indonesian paper and pulp manufacturer, Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings Ltd was responsible for 500 hotspots this year.

“It has received serious civil/administrative sanctions just twice. A criminal investigation against numerous companies, including this one, was stopped by police in 2016 due to insufficient evidence.”

Greenpeace Malaysia campaigner Heng Kiah Chun said tackling the forest fires is not the sole responsibility of Indonesia.

“The Malaysian and Indonesia governments need to look at where the fires are burning, why, and who is behind them to hold the main culprits accountable; especially now that smoke from Indonesia forest fires are spreading beyond the country’s boundaries, including Malaysia.”

He also called on Asean members to cooperate with the Indonesian government to tackle the problem once and for all, by taking effective action to implement a Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to hold reckless companies accountable.

Asean leaders failed to come up with the strong implementation of the act in 2014.

The World Bank estimated that the 2015 fire crisis cost Indonesia US$16 billion, resulting in losses in forestry, agriculture, tourism and other industries. – September 25, 2019.