1,700 cubic meters of timber seized monthly

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)