Government expects Rp 500b from stolen logs

JAKARTA (JP): The government hopes to earn Rp 500 billion this year from the sale of timber confiscated from illegal loggers, the Ministry of Forestry said.

The ministry's secretary-general, Suripto, also said the House of Representatives had agreed to double the ministry's budget in 2001 to Rp 10 billion to combat illegal logging.

Some Rp 1.2 trillion (US$126 million) worth of timber is believed to be lost annually through illegal logging.

In 2000, the government was only able to salvage Rp 15 billion of the stolen logs.

"It's hard to achieve but we have to be optimistic," Suripto said of the challenges facing his ministry.

He declined to give details of the government's plan to combat illegal logging, saying it was still being drafted by the ministry.

But he cited budgetary constraints, a shortage of forest rangers, a lack of incentives for those who turn in illegal loggers and poor coordination between the ministry and the National Police among the problems in putting up an effective fight against illegal logging.

Indonesia needs at least 14,000 rangers to patrol the country's forest areas. The government currently has only 6,000, Bintoro, a spokesman at the Ministry of Forestry, said.

The government also is considering offering rewards as an incentive for rangers to catch and turn in illegal loggers. The money could be taken from the proceeds of the sale of confiscated logs, he said.

Suripto said illegal logging, carried out by people living near forests or holders of forest concessions, was a huge business because of the strong demand for timber.

He noted that domestic demand for logs in Indonesia amounted to 63 million cubic meters a year, largely for the plywood industry. Supply from legitimate loggers only amounts to 22 million cubic meters, he said. (05)