Good forestry policy needed

Good forestry policy needed

The National Movement for Forest and Land Rehabilitation
recently launched by the government is worthy of praise.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri reiterated the necessity to
ensure successful reforestation and rehabilitation efforts.

However, such an appeal is not the first to have been made.
Despite this, cases of illegal logging and natural disasters
caused by forest denudation continue to fill the media. This
means that the officials in charge have consistently failed to
give effect to government policy.

Consistency on the part of the Ministry of Forestry is also
needed, especially in the commercial forestry sector. If the
government gives the proper opportunities to timber estate
companies to survive, they will automatically carry out
reforestation and rehabilitation as required.

In this context, the government should offer the best possible
arrangements to forest-based businesses, like pulp and paper
industries, so that they can operate their businesses
successfully. This is essential given the large investments they
have made and their labor intensive nature.

HANS SUTA WIDHYA
Jakarta