Firms' permits revoked for burning forests<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government revoked 151 wood-use licenses of
\n29 plantation and timber companies yesterday after they failed to
\npresent documents disproving the government's allegations that
\nthey were responsible for starting brush and forest fires.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry's Director General of Forest
\nProtection and Nature Preservation Soemarsono said the 29
\ncompanies, which included four state-owned companies, failed to
\nmeet Thursday's deadline for submitting evidence to support their
\ninnocence.<\/p>\n
The government accused 176 companies last month of violating
\nstrict laws against the burning of forest to clear land.<\/p>\n
The companies were given a deadline to present a statement of
\ndenial along with an audit report containing evidence disproving
\nthe allegations.<\/p>\n
According to Soemarsono, 110 companies submitted a denial
\nstatement to the ministry, of which only 65 had an audit
\nattached.<\/p>\n
He explained that not all of the companies charged with
\nburning forest had wood-use licenses and thus only the 151
\nlicenses owned by the 29 companies were revoked by the Ministry
\nof Forestry.<\/p>\n
The government has charged that widespread fires in Kalimantan
\nand Sumatra have been mainly caused by the land burning methods
\nconducted by plantation and forestry estates.<\/p>\n
The fires have resulted in severe haze enveloping not only
\nSumatra and Kalimantan, but also neighboring Malaysia and
\nSingapore.<\/p>\n
More than 30,000 people in Indonesia are reportedly suffering
\nfrom respiratory illnesses and eye irritations as a result of the
\nhaze.<\/p>\n
The haze has also caused havoc to flights, shipping and land
\ntransportation over the last three months.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto himself has apologized to neighboring
\ncountries for the forest fires causing the haze, which has been
\ndeclared a natural disaster.<\/p>\n
A concerted effort involving international assistance has been
\nlaunched to combat the forest fires and haze.<\/p>\n
The companies whose licenses were revoked were:<\/p>\n
In South Sumatra: timber company PT Pakerin and plantation
\ncompany PT Musi Rindang Wahana.<\/p>\n
In Riau: timber estates PT Arara Abadi, PT Rimba Lestari, PT
\nRiau Andan Pulp and Paper and PT Perawang Sukses Perkasa Ind.,
\nand plantation companies PT Gunung Mas Raya, PT Inti Kamparindo
\nSejahtera, PT Kencana Amal Tani, PT Subur Arum Makmur, PT Inti
\nIndo Sawit Subur, PT Musim Mas, PT Perdana Inti Sawit, state-
\nowned PT Perkebunan II and PT Sarpindo Graha.<\/p>\n
In Jambi: timber estates PT Wana Perintis and PT Wana Kasita
\nNusantara.<\/p>\n
In Central Kalimantan: timber estates PT Parwata Rimba and PT
\nPola Inti Rimba, and plantation companies PT Gunung Sejahtera Dua
\nIndah, PT Teguh Sempurna, PT Mustika Sembuluh and PT Kridatama
\nLancar.<\/p>\n
One transmigration contractor in Central Kalimantan was also
\nnamed, PT Hanjalipan.<\/p>\n
In East Kalimantan: timber estates PT Tanjung Redeb Hutani, PT
\nITCI Hutani Manunggal and PT Kiani Hutani Lestari, and plantation
\ncompany PT Swakarsa Sinar Sentosa.<\/p>\n
In West Kalimantan: plantation company PT Prakarsa Tani
\nSejati.<\/p>\n
Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo said yesterday
\nthat the revocation would be "reviewed" as soon as the companies
\nsubmitted their audits to the ministry.<\/p>\n
Elaborating on the current state of the fires, Djamaludin said
\nthe latest satellite images showed a decreasing number of hot
\nspots in the northern part of East Kalimantan, the northern part
\nof West Kalimantan, and the northern part of South Sumatra and
\nLampung.<\/p>\n
The haze and forest fires had also been linked to the forest
\nfires, but Antara reported yesterday rains had started in a
\nnumber of areas in Java including Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang,
\nSemarang and Tulungagung. (07\/08\/ste\/aan)<\/p>\n
Anwar -- Page 6<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/firms-permits-revoked-for-burning-forests-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }