State-controlled concessionaires to save the forests<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo
\nyesterday assured that the acquisition of shares at private
\nforest concessionaires by state-owned companies is aimed mainly
\nto save the country's forests from further destruction.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a forestry seminar yesterday, he said what really
\nconcerns him is that private timber companies might only try to
\nmake profits without giving any attention to forest preservation.<\/p>\n
\"Private companies usually look for quick yielding sectors,
\nand thus the timber growing business is not attractive to them
\nbecause it needs at least 35 years for one cycle of cutting,\"
\nDjamaludin said.<\/p>\n
He noted that the current 20-year concession rights based on
\nthe 1967 Forestry Law just encourages forest destruction because
\nin such a time span, forest concessionaires are not able to think
\nof preserving forests.<\/p>\n
Bill<\/p>\n
To solve the problem, he said, the Ministry of Forestry is
\ndrafting a new forestry bill to replace the existing one. In the
\nbill, the term of a concession will be extended to 70 years to
\nmake the timber growing business attractive for private
\ninvestment as well as to enforce the cutting cycle of 35 years to
\nallow for reforestation.<\/p>\n
He added that state companies are encouraged to work in the
\ntimber growing sector so that the sustainability of forest
\nconcessions will be secured.<\/p>\n
Private timber companies often violate the government's
\nregulations on selective cutting in order to meet the high
\ncapacity of their timber manufacturing units. In addition, they
\nalso often buy logs stolen from protected forests or nearby
\nforest concession areas.<\/p>\n
Last September the government took over two private
\nconcessionaires, PT Aya Timber and PT Yayang Indonesia both in
\nSouth Kalimantan, for the \"poor management\" of their forest
\nconcessions.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, economist Christianto Wibisono contended that the
\ngovernment's move to control private concessionaires will only
\ndiscourage private investments on forestry and be counter-
\nproductive in the era of privatization.<\/p>\n
He noted that it is not important who operate the concessions
\nas long as they are professional and credible. But, if the
\ngovernment uses a political, subjective approach, it can lead to
\nnational inefficiency in the forestry sector.<\/p>\n
Minister Djamaludin, however, said that his ministry has made
\nforest preservation a top priority as \"once a forest is
\ndestroyed, it needs dozens of years to regrow.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia has the third largest tropical forest reserves in
\nthe world. The official figure stands at around 140 million
\nhectares which has remained unchanged for years.<\/p>\n
According to a United Nations Development Program report
\nreleased last May, however, Indonesia has only 111.4 million
\nhectares of closed and virgin forests left. Indonesia has been
\ncutting down its forests since logging started in this country in
\nthe late 1960s.<\/p>\n
Djamaludin said yesterday that as many as three million
\nhectares of natural forests have been converted into plantations,
\ntransmigration sites and industrial forests. (rid)<\/p>",
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