Ministry seeks compensation for Perhutani to stop logging<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry is demanding financial compensation from
\nthe government for state-owned forestry firm Perhutani to stop
\ncutting down Javanese forests to mitigate ever-worsening weather
\nextremes, including the severe drought across Java at present.<\/p>\n
The ministry's spokesman Tachrir Fathoni said on Tuesday that
\ncompensation for carbon absorption and fees from forest-
\nexploiting companies that used its land, such as tap water firms
\nand power plants, would facilitate Perhutani in focusing on its
\nnon-logging business activities, including ecotourism, medicinal
\nplants and beekeeping.<\/p>\n
\"We think banning Perhutani from its logging activities should
\nbe thoroughly calculated economically, socially, and
\nenvironmentally,\" Tachrir told The Jakarta Post Tuesday.<\/p>\n
He also emphasized that the demand for logs and the derivative
\nproducts on Java was still high, while many home-based industries
\nrelied on local wood.<\/p>\n
\"If Java tries to import logs from other countries to meet
\nlocal demand, it will be too expensive,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Besides, the government, particularly the office of State
\nMinistry of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) should stop demanding
\nthat Perhutani generate more profit and instead consider
\nenvironmental preservation as one of the company's achievements,
\nTachrir said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) said on Tuesday that
\nthe government had to enforce its decision to ban all logging on
\nJava, but also should provide financial incentives for Perhutani
\nto save Java's forests.<\/p>\n
\"The logging ban for Java is correct, but it is also fair for
\nPerhutani to receive incentives from the government in order to
\nshift its business to something other than chopping down what
\nremains of the forests,\" FWI executive director Togu Manurung
\ntold the Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Manurung said the government could provide incentives to
\nPerhutani by allocating reforestation funds and special
\nallocation funds to the company.<\/p>\n
Tachrir and Manurung were commenting on the announcement by
\nCoordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla on Monday
\nthat the government had decided to ban logging activities on Java
\ndue to the present drought and water crisis that is starting to
\naffect more and more of the 128 million people who call the
\nisland home.<\/p>\n
Javanese forests now account for a mere 5 percent of total
\nland, far below what 30 percent level that many consider the
\nminimum for maintaining ecological balance, according to data
\nfrom the Ministry of Forestry.<\/p>\n
Perhutani controls all commercial plantations and logging
\nactivities on Java. In addition, it also is involved in
\necotourism, beekeeping and medicinal plants.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry had earlier given Perhutani
\npermission to process 931,000 cubic meters of natural forest wood
\nthis year, down from 1.46 million in 2002.<\/p>\n
In addition to the logging ban, the government also urged
\npeople to reduce farming on Java and for farmers to do more on
\nother islands in the country.<\/p>\n
Manurung went on to say that Perhutani should comply with the
\ngovernment's decision even if demand for wood and its derivatives
\nremained high.<\/p>\n
\"We know that local demand for wood is still high. The
\ngovernment can import logs to meet the demand, but of course that
\nwould be far more expensive, or allow some of the companies that
\nrely on wood to close down,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ministry-seeks-compensation-for-perhutani-to-stop-logging-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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