APHI: Papua Has Huge Potential to Develop Multi-Business Forestry

Through a multi-forestry approach, the sector can optimise not only timber yields but also non-timber forest products and environmental services.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Forest Entrepreneurs Association (APHI) believes that Papua possesses immense potential to develop a forestry business transformation through the Multi-forestry approach.

APHI General Chairman Soewarso stated in Jakarta on Friday that through the Multi-forestry approach, the sector can optimise not only timber yields but also non-timber forest products and environmental services.

“With policy support that is aligned between the central and regional governments, Papua’s forestry sector can provide a much larger contribution to state revenue, regional income, infrastructure development, job creation, and the improvement of community welfare,” said Soemitro.

APHI, he added, is currently conducting a ‘roadshow’ to several regions to strengthen collaboration with local governments, universities, and stakeholders in driving the transformation of the national forestry sector, including with the Papua Provincial Government.

He explained that APHI is encouraging the drafting of a Papua forestry development roadmap for the medium to long term as a direction for developing a more competitive and sustainable forestry sector, capable of revitalising the forestry industry from upstream to downstream.

According to him, the roadmap is also expected to serve as a basis for developing a forest product processing industry closer to raw material sources, developing carbon environmental services while maintaining sustainable timber production, and refining various policies that support the increased competitiveness of Papua’s forestry products.

Soewarso noted that during a meeting between APHI officials and the Governor of Papua, Mathius D. Fakhiri, in Jayapura City on Wednesday (24/6), the association proposed several strategic policies. These include opening direct export access for sawn timber from Papua, refining processed timber dimension policies to increase the use of wood species other than Merbau, and harmonising central and regional policies to accelerate the implementation of forest management transformation through Multi-forestry (MUK).

Governor of Papua Mathius D. Fakhiri expressed support for the development of a forestry sector capable of increasing community welfare while maintaining environmental sustainability through the drafting of a forestry development roadmap and forest management transformation based on multi-forestry.

The Papua Provincial Government, he added, is open to various initiatives that can strengthen the forestry sector’s contribution to the regional economy and indigenous communities through the implementation of sustainable forest management.

“We welcome various programmes that can increase the contribution of business actors to regional revenue while simultaneously improving the welfare of the Papuan people through sustainable forest management that does not damage the environment,” he said.

He added that the local government is also continuing to strengthen supporting infrastructure, including increasing the capacity of Jayapura Port and constructing a port in Sarmi Regency, to support the development of the forestry industry and the export of forest products from Papua.

According to Mathius, the proposals for direct exports of sawn timber from Papua and the expansion of processed timber dimension policies need to be supported by scientific data and comprehensive studies incorporated into the Papua forestry development roadmap, to serve as a basis for policy coordination between the regional and central governments.

The meeting also discussed opportunities to strengthen forestry education financing through the optimisation of customary rights compensation funds.

APHI subsequently conducted technical discussions with the Papua Provincial Forestry and Environmental Office regarding the preparation of a roadmap for Papua’s forest management for the next five to ten years.