South Bangka Regency to have five CPO factories in 2025

South Bangka Regency Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTS) Head Kartikasari stated on Apr. 25, 2025, that South Bangka Regency  is set to have five crude palm oil (CPO)-producing factories in 2025. She explained that the five projects are still in the process of fulfilling the requirements for business permits, including basic prerequisites such as approval of space utilization and environmental approval.

"We are currently in the middle of an EIA (environmental impact assessment) study int he environmental approval stage. We hope that every [requirement] could be realized in 2025 because CPO factories are very much needed in South Bangka," Kartikasari added.

She also revealed that the oil palm plantation areas owned by the local community of South Bangka reaches around 40,000 hectares (ha). However, the lack of CPO processing factories in the area has caused the price of local oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) to be less competitive.

"Currently, the price of oil palm [FFB] is around Rp2,900 per kilogram. With these new factories, the price is expected to climb higher as there is healthy competition with no monopoly. This will certainly benefit farmers and create new jobs for the local community," Kartikasari elaborated

The plantation and agriculture sector is currently one of the leading sectors in South Bangka, and the construction of the five CPO factories is expected to strengthen the local community's economic resilience and raise the added value of local oil palm plantation products.