In September 2018, President Joko Widodo issued Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2018 on the Suspension and Evaluation of Palm Oil Plantation Licenses and Improvement of Palm Oil Plantations Productivity. For some, this policy is a good momentum to improve palm oil governance in Indonesia.

On 14 April 2016, President Joko Widodo announced temporary moratorium for oil palm plantation and coal permits. This commitment finally became reality in the form of Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2018 on Oil Palm Plantation Permit Moratorium and Evaluation and Increasing Oil Palm Plantation Productivity.