Environment needs own ministry: PPP

Environment needs own ministry: PPP

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) has
recommended establishing an environment ministry with more budget
and better human resources than the current non-portfolio office
to deal with increasingly complicated environmental problems.

"Indonesia needs a new and powerful ministry, say a ministry
of environment and regional planning, to handle all environmental
issues," Nasir Tamara of PPP said in a seminar held by the
Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) on Monday.

The ministry would have offices across the country to enforce
environmental laws, he added. It would be empowered to impose
substantial fines on polluting companies, with the payments to be
used to remedy environmental damage.

Other speakers in the seminar were Eki Syachrudin
of the Golkar Party, Tanzil Salim of the National Mandate Party
(PAN) and leading environmental expert Emil Salim.

Eki said a new ministry would not solve the problems. He
believed a campaign to raise public awareness about potentially
damaging projects and the people's participation in decision
making would be more beneficial.

"There should be a mechanism, such as a hearing board, to
enable people to air their opinions on large-scale projects such
as dams, toll roads or other infrastructure," he said.

Public participation is necessary to guard against "money-
thirsty bureaucrats" making the decisions unilaterally, he said.

In his address, Tanzil stressed the importance of good
governance and public empowerment. He cited the controversial
forestry bill, which he believed focused on exploitation rather
than sustainable resources management.

ICEL executive director Mas Ahmad Santosa concurred. "The
government is neglecting the public's rights in regard to the
deliberation of the bills on natural resources."

The House of Representatives decided on Monday to deliberate
the forestry bill despite earlier demands for its postponement.
Among those making the calls were Emil Salim, former forestry
minister Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo and forestry experts from
several universities.

Opponents said the bill failed to observe people's traditional
rights on forestry and that it was established without involving
forestry stakeholders.

Emil said on Monday that PPP's approach to the environmental
issue was anthropocentric, but Golkar adopted a sectoral approach
which was insufficient given the complexity of the problem.

"We need to use a holistic approach," he said.

"The environment is public property that can't be valued by
money," Emil said.(05/gis)