President Joko Widodo chaired the National Coordination Meeting to discuss measures to prevent forest and land fires in 2020. The meeting which took place at the State Palace was attended by: Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs - Mahfud MD, Indonesian National Army Commander - Hadi Tjahjanto, National Police Chief - Idham Aziz, Head of National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB) - Doni Monardo, Head of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) - Dwikorita Karnawati, Cabinet Secretary - Pramono Anung, and around 300 invited guests. There were several directives delivered by the President to prevent forest and land fires:
- National Army, Police, and Regional Heads to utilize state and government instruments at the site level for the prevention and control of forest and land fires. The President reminded that “the rule of the game” still applies, i.e. removing the relevant ranks of the army and police if forest fires still occur in their area.
- Ministries/Agencies together with the Regional Government, BNPB, as well as the Army and the Police to prepare permanent solutions to control forest and land fires, especially on peatlands. The President will continue to observe the progress of peatland rewetting activities.
- Minister of Environment and Forestry to continue implementing rewards/incentives and punishments for cases of forest and land fires. The President stated that law enforcement must be done firmly, be it administrative, civil, or criminal penalties, to whoever deserves it. The President also asked for strict supervision on peatland utilization to prevent forest and land fires.
- Cooperation of all parties from government officials (central and regional), law enforcement, and the community to increase efforts to control forest and land fires. The President asked to increase the frequency of field patrols and ground checking, especially in areas prone to fires, and to start it as early as possible as anticipation.