1,700 cubic meters of timber seized monthly

JAKARTA (JP): Only 1,700 cubic meters of illegal timber, with a value of Rp 250 million, are confiscated by city authorities every month.

It is estimated that more than three million cubic meters of timber enter the city every year, but only 1.2 million cubic meters carry the proper documents. The remaining 1.8 million cubic meters that are smuggled into the city cause the state losses of more than Rp 5 billion per year, said Idroes, the deputy governor in charge of administration.

Idroes said here yesterday that the latest shipment of logs was seized by the forestry office team for lacking the required documents. The logs had been transported to Jakarta from other cities in Java.

Quoting the forestry ministry regulation no. 813/kpts-II/1993, Idroes said that the owners of the illegal timber can be fined more than Rp 20 billion.

Idroes made the statement while briefing the team which deals with controlling the circulation of timber in the city.

Idroes said the integrated operations, which have been carried out since 1986, are able to intercept less than one percent of the total amount of timber smuggled monthly into Jakarta.

The circulation of illegal timber is caused by rapid development in the city and the subsequent demand for wood, which, according to Idroes, grows two to four percent per year.

Since the city does not have productive forests, he said the city demand for wood is met by suppliers from outside of the city.(32)