IOI Corp Fully Committed To NDPE Policies

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- IOI Corporation Bhd said it is fully committed to the No Deforestation, No Planting on Peat and No Exploitation (NDPE) policies as stated in its Sustainable Palm Oil Policy. "We believe that the Stop the Haze campaign which claims that IOI's deforestation practice has caused the haze problem in Indonesia is unhelpful and counter productive. "While there have been fires in our Indonesian developments, these were not caused by IOI. "We have been practising zero burning on all new planting and replanting activities for over 25 years," IOI said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia (Malaysia's Stock Exchange) Thursday. The oil palm company said it is currently working with the stakeholders to develop and implement effective fire prevention and mitigation plus peat and biodiversity conservation in the vicinity of its Indonesian unit, PT Sawit Nabati Agro's developments. "With regard to our suppliers, we accept our responsibilities as a producer and trader of palm oil to ensure that the NDPE policies are adhered to. "We would like to clarify that this response is not about making excuses or shifting the blame to others but to provide full transparency on grounds pertaining to how third-party suppliers and their activities are connected to IOI," it said. -- BERNAMA