Reforestation fund<\/p>\n
From Koran Tempo<\/p>\n
As reported in The Jakarta Post on May 21, the secretary-
\ngeneral of the Ministry of Forestry, Wahjudi Wardojo, made
\nseveral conflicting statements in a hearing with Commission III
\nof the House of Representatives on May 20.<\/p>\n
While our forest areas are diminishing, the reforestation fund
\nof Rp 10,875 trillion has just vanished into thin air. On paper,
\npart of this fund -- Rp 8,426 trillion -- has gone to the account
\nof the minister of finance. Then Rp 2,360 trillion has been
\ndeposited at the state's treasury office. Another sum -- Rp 1,653
\ntrillion -- has been transferred to the account of the minister
\nof forestry. The total amount is quite huge: Rp 12,349 trillion.<\/p>\n
On the one hand, the government -- in this case the ministry
\nof forestry -- talks about the deterioration of our forest areas
\nbut on the other hand, the reforestation program has been
\nprogressing very, very slowly. In the hearing, Wardojo warned
\nthat the reforestation fund should be carefully spent as
\notherwise it would be used up in four to five years. The question
\nis why there should be any worry if the money is wholly spent on
\nreforestation.<\/p>\n
In the hearing, Wardojo said that the fund was also allocated
\nto finance other activities of the ministry of forestry,
\nrestructuring of forestry businesses, control over illegal
\nlogging and some other projects. As the fund is not fully
\ndesignated for reforestation purposes, the easiest way to reduce
\nforest damage will be to cut down on the annual logging allotment
\nfor official forest concessionaires.<\/p>\n
On the occasion, Wardojo told the legislators that the
\nofficial logging allotment for forest concessionaires had been
\nreduced to 5.7 million m3 in 2004 from 6.8 million m3 in 2003, 12
\nmillion m3 in 2002 and 21 million m3 in 2001. One big question is
\nwhat has been done about illegal loggers.<\/p>\n
When forest concessionaires fail to pay their reforestation
\nfund, the government can easily refuse to issue a certificate
\nstating that certain forest produce is legal or refuse to approve
\ntheir annual working scheme. The question is what has the
\ngovernment done about the illegal logging bosses regarding the
\ncollection of the reforestation fund.<\/p>\n
DEHEN BINTI
\nBanjarmasin
\nSouth Kalimantan<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/reforestation-fund-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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