Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) has passed a new plantations bill that aims to maximize land usage and opens up Indonesia’s plantation sector to smallholders. However, the retroactive clause that would limit foreign ownership to a maximum of 30 percent (from 95 percent currently) was dropped from the final version. This clause was highly controversial and would have been a major obstacle for foreign companies engaged in Indonesia’s plantation sector (such as Golden Agri-Resources and Wilmar International).

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Two Indonesian companies - Indofood Sukses Makmur and Golden Agri Resources - joined the ranks of the Boston Consulting Group’s Global Challengers 2014. This index contains a group of 100 companies (all from emerging markets) that are vying for leadership of key industries and have emerged as drivers of global economic growth. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) also included Indonesian agribusiness firm Wilmar International in the graduates list. This list mentions firms that have grown into global market leaders in their industries.

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Foreign ownership of plantations in Indonesia may be limited to a maximum of 30 percent if a new draft bill designed by Indonesian parliament is approved. This draft bill aims to encourage local participation within Indonesia’s plantation sector at the expense of foreign ownership. Currently, foreign ownership of plantations in Indonesia is set at a maximum of 95 percent. The draft bill also aims to simplify complex rules regarding land use, protect indigenous people, and will make it easier to prosecute companies responsible for forest fires.  

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