APRIL's wood use permit reinstated

APRIL's wood use permit reinstated

SINGAPORE (Reuter): The Asia Pacific Resources International
Holdings Ltd (APRIL) group said yesterday Indonesia has
reinstated the wood use permit of its subsidiary P.T. Riau
Andalan Pulp and Paper (Riapulp).

APRIL has a 98.9 percent interest in Riapulp, which operates a
750,000 ton-per-year pulp mill in Indonesia.

Riapulp's name had appeared on a list of companies alleged not
to have submitted required audit reports certifying full
adherence to non-burning laws of Indonesia.

APRIL said earlier in the week it does not use fire to clear
land in Indonesian forestry operations and Riapulp had submitted
full audit reports to the Indonesian Minister of Forestry on
Sept. 25 confirming this no-burning policy.

On Friday, it said the Department of Forestry had agreed, and
distributed a translated copy of an Oct. 9 letter from the
department saying Riapulp's land clearing activity could
continue.

Much of Southeast Asia has been blanketed by smog in recent
weeks, blamed on fires started by timber companies.

"The APRIL Group has always taken its forestry practices very
seriously. As a matter of policy, no member of the APRIL group
uses burning to clear land, currently and in the past," the
company said on Monday.

April, a major producer of pulp, paper and viscose fiber
targeted for Asia Pacific markets, is listed on the New York
Stock Exchange.