Environmentalists livid over forestry arrears

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.