Zulkifli Hasan reveals US$50 million offer from George Soros for Indonesia

Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Food, Zulkifli Hasan, revealed that investor George Soros once offered US$50 million to support Indonesia’s environmental programs. Hasan disclosed that Soros personally visited his office to provide the funds during Hasan’s previous tenure as Minister of Forestry.

Despite the availability of the funds under the Result-Based Payment (RBP) REDD+ scheme, Hasan stated the money was never utilized before his term ended. He attributed this failure to overly complex regulatory requirements and complicated disbursement procedures.

Hasan noted that while Indonesia had previously engaged in environmental funding cooperation with the Norwegian government, the administrative hurdles remained a significant barrier. He expressed hope that the Environmental Fund Management Agency (BPDLH) would streamline regulations to ensure international climate financing can be more effectively managed and distributed to various regions for sustainable development.