Timber becomes a prime commodity after tsunami<\/p>\n
Six months after the tsunami, only a few survivors of Lampuuk
\ncould rebuild their houses, while the majority still live in
\ncramped tents around the village mosque, the only structure that
\nwithstood the tsunami.<\/p>\n
According to Syafrudin, a fisherman, even if they desperately
\nwant to rebuild their houses, the price of wood has gone so high
\nsince the tsunami that no one from their village can afford it.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons in Aceh
\nstill live in tents provided by international relief groups and
\nnon-governmental organizations (NGOs).<\/p>\n
But roaming the city of Banda Aceh, one will see wood stores
\nwith fresh supplies of sembarang or construction wood. With
\nlogging becoming more rampant in Aceh, it is a wonder how wood
\nbecame so expensive that it actually costs almost as twice as
\nbefore.<\/p>\n
According to an owner of a wood store in Lueng Bata in Banda
\nAceh, they are forced to sell their wood at a very high price to
\ncompensate for security taxes they have to pay to corrupt police
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
\"Even if we do not want to sell it a high price, we have no
\nchoice,\" said the owner who requested anonymity for fear of
\nrecrimination.<\/p>\n
He said they are now selling their wood at an average price of
\nRp 2 million (US$205) per cubic meter, from Rp 1.4 million per
\ncubic meter before the tsunami.<\/p>\n
They regularly make trips twice a week to districts in the
\ncentral and eastern parts of Aceh to purchase wood directly from
\nsawmill operators.<\/p>\n
Wood coming from more distant places like the province of
\nNorth Sumatra, Raui and Jambi are sold in Banda Aceh at a higher
\nprice of Rp 4 million per cubic meter to compensate for
\ntransportation as well as security taxes.<\/p>\n
But even at a lower price, said the owner, still only few
\norganizations and companies could really afford to buy wood from
\nthem.<\/p>\n
According to his truck driver who regularly purchases
\nprocessed wood from sawmills in the subdistrict of Langsa in Aceh
\nTimur, he has to pass almost 70 checkpoints every trip. He has
\nto pay almost Rp 200,000 to Rp 500,000 per checkpoint, amounting
\nto almost Rp 15 million per trip.<\/p>\n
\"If you do not give money, you will be kicked or hit in the
\nhead,\" said the driver.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes they will hold your truck for very long hours to
\nforce you to give them money,\" said the driver's assistant.<\/p>\n
Illegal taxes don't end at the stage of transporting woods.<\/p>\n
\"Everyday the police come here to ask for money,\" said the
\nowner.<\/p>\n
According to him, even if they have the necessary documents,
\nthey are still forced to give money to prevent trouble with
\nauthorities.<\/p>\n
\"I'm not surprised to hear that news,\" said Insp. Gen.
\nBachrumsyah Kasman, head of the police force in Aceh.<\/p>\n
Bachrumsyah acknowledged that some of his men were engaged in
\nbribery.<\/p>\n
\"We have 14,000 police, so I cannot control them one by one,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"But I am doing everything to stop it,\" he further stressed.<\/p>\n
\"We want to help our fellow Acehnese,\" said the owner of the
\nwood store. \"But we also cannot lower our price,\" he said.<\/p>\n
-- Riedo Panaligan<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/timber-becomes-a-prime-commodity-after-tsunami-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }