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.