Environmentalists livid over forestry arrears

Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, East Kalimantan

Eighteen holders of forestry licenses who had evaded paying a total of Rp 229 billion in reforestation and resource fees last year should have their forestry concessions revoked, a non- governmental organization said on Thursday.

"This stern measure has to be taken in order to prevent similar violations in the future," said Syarifuddin, the executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment's (Walhi) East Kalimantan office.

Citing recently released data from the Ministry of Forestry, Syarifuddin said he had a list of the five worst-offender companies that had evaded paying reforestation fees in the province.

They are PT Sumalindo Lestari Jaya, which evaded paying Rp 38.9 billion last year; PT Karang Joang Hijau Lestari (Rp 26.5 billion); PT Bumi Sawit Perkasa (Rp 18.7 billion); PT Kiani Hutan Lestari (Rp 16.4 billion); and PT MSK Timber (Rp 16.3 billion).

Syarifuddin said the government had to impose stern measures against the firms because they owed such a large amount of money to the state.

"The money is very important for the government reforestation programs," said Syarifuddin.

Both reforestation fees and forest resource dues are non- taxable revenues. The money goes to support forestry rehabilitation programs managed by the government. The dues are collected by the provincial government in accordance with the regional autonomy drive.

Separately, The Jakarta Post contacted public relations staff at several of the firms in the East Kalimantan province, but none would comment on Thursday.

Those 18 companies in East Kalimantan are part of total of 601 forest concessionaires in the country, which have evaded paying the dues last year.

These logging license holders and timber processors owe Rp 1.28 trillion in reforestation fees and forest resource dues last year, an NGO revealed last month.

The government has several times promised to take stern action against the recalcitrant payers, but so far these promises have proved empty ones.

Two years ago the government promised to act against 14 forest concessionaires that had failed to pay reforestation funds amounting to Rp 675.59 billion. Whether the government has recovered this amount is still unclear.