Perumnas to use confiscated wood<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Perum Perumnas, the state-owned housing
\ndeveloper, is still waiting for government instructions
\nauthorizing them to use wood confiscated from illegal logging in
\nthe construction of low and medium-cost public housing, said its
\npresident, Srijono.<\/p>\n
\"We are still waiting for further instructions from the office
\nof the State Minister of Public Housing,\" he told reporters here
\nearlier this week.<\/p>\n
A joint ministerial decree was signed recently by Minister of
\nForestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo, State Minister of Public
\nHousing Akbar Tandjung, Attorney General Singgih, Police Chief
\nGeneral Banurusman and Minister of Finance Mar'ie Muhammad to
\nallow the use of confiscated wood and to give low-income people
\nan opportunity to purchase good-quality houses at affordable
\nprices.<\/p>\n
The confiscated wood, which will be rendered freely to
\nPerumnas, will not be subject to reforestation fees or forest
\nroyalties, which can reach up to a total of Rp 50,000 per cubic
\nmeter of equivalent log wood. Perumnas only has to pay for
\ntransportation, storage and preservation expenses.<\/p>\n
Srijono said that at the moment, a technical team under the
\ncoordination of the minister's office is working on details and
\nthe implementation of the decree.<\/p>\n
\"Perumnas has not even received the confiscated wood yet, so
\nit would be difficult to elaborate on our plans for it,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
So far, the total volume of stolen logs over the past year
\nreached seven million cubic meters worth about Rp 225 billion
\n(US$100.2 million).<\/p>\n
Not all types of wood, however, will be subject to the plan.<\/p>\n
The regulation will mostly affect bayur (pterospermum spp.),
\neucalyptus, kenanga (cananga odorata), keruing (dipterocarpus
\nspp.) and merbau (instia spp.), but confiscated teakwood, meranti
\n(shorea sp.) and a number of other types of first-class wood will
\nstill be subject to public auctioning.<\/p>\n
The low and medium-cost houses to be built with the
\nconfiscated wood will measure between 21 and 36 square meters on
\nland areas of between 54 and 200 square meters.<\/p>\n
During the current Sixth Five Year Development Plan period,
\nPerumnas is expected to build 250,000 of the 500,000 houses
\ntargeted by the government. The remainder should be developed by
\nprivate companies.<\/p>\n
Perumnas was one of the 24 government institutions which
\nreceived certificates on Monday in recognition for their
\ndedication to the public from President Soeharto at the State
\nPalace.(31)<\/p>",
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