Forestry bill does not support small firms<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The proposed forestry bill fails to address
\nlocal administrations' demand for greater autonomy in managing
\nthe country's forest assets, according to the Indonesian Forestry
\nSociety for Reform (MPI Reformasi).<\/p>\n
The organization's chairman, Sofyan Siambaton, said on
\nWednesday that the draft law also gave no support to the
\ngovernment's program to empower cooperatives and small industries
\nin the forestry sector.<\/p>\n
\"The draft law should be revised before being submitted to the
\nHouse of Representatives for ratification,\" he told a news
\nconference.<\/p>\n
He said that the draft law was too centralistic and
\ninconsistent with the government's recent moves to redistribute
\nthe country's forest assets from the small number of big
\ncompanies and to provide a better chance for cooperatives and
\nsmall businesses to benefit from the forests.<\/p>\n
The bill, which is currently awaiting government approval
\nbefore being deliberated by the House, proposes the establishment
\nof special forestry companies to represent the government in
\nissuing forest licenses to private firms and cooperatives.<\/p>\n
All matters related to forest management are to be decided by
\nthe minister of forestry and plantations through the state-owned
\nforestry companies.<\/p>\n
Sofyan said such a regulation would prompt dissatisfaction
\namong local communities, cooperatives, and small companies
\nbecause they would have to deal directly with the central
\ngovernment when managing their forest areas.<\/p>\n
Such a regulation would be too costly for them, he added.<\/p>\n
Sofyan said that the bill (in its current form) also provided
\na big opportunity for officials of the appointed state forestry
\ncompanies to practice collusion with big timber companies.<\/p>\n
It would also prompt dissatisfaction among local people over
\nwhat they might see as a company's disregard for the local
\neconomy, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Why can't we trust governors and provincial administrations
\nto handle small-scale forest management conducted by local
\npeople, cooperatives and small-scale timber companies. The
\nministry could handle the large-scale forest utilization, such as
\nthe pulp and plywood factories,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Local administrations should be given a greater role because
\nthey are the ones who are involved directly in the field.\"<\/p>\n
He said that the violent attacks by local protesters on the
\npulp and rayon mills of publicly listed PT Inti Indorayon Utama
\nnear Lake Toba in North Sumatra last month, were an example of
\nthe hazards faced by resource-based ventures operating in
\nIndonesia's new era of reform as a result of the government not
\naccommodating local people's needs. (gis)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/forestry-bill-does-not-support-small-firms-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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