Government refuses to delay debate on forestry bill

JAKARTA (JP): Ministry of Forestry and Plantations Muslimin Nasution said on Friday the government had no plans to delay deliberation of the forestry bill in the House of Representatives.

Muslimin said postponement of House debates on the bill would mean a delay in implementation of the forest law, which would be unacceptable.

He denied the draft law had been made without taking into account public input.

"In fact, 60 percent of the existing draft comprises public input, while the government makes up the rest with a 40 percent (contribution)," he said.

Muslimin said the draft would remain open for changes during the deliberation process. House members would be allowed to revise the legislation during the process if they considered it too weak to protect the forests or local peoples' rights.

"The House should take into account public input, including that from universities, analysts, nongovernmental organizations, as well as the private sector, during deliberation of the bill.

House debate on the bill will begin next week.

Former minister of environment Emil Salim and former minister of forestry Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo have urged the government to revise the bill, saying it was ineffective to protect the country's forests.

They said the bill's debate should be delayed until new members of the House were appointed in September, in order to give more time to the government to gain input from forest concessionairs. They urged comprehensive studies be undertaken in order to create a better forestry bill.

They said the bill, in addition to lacking empowerment measures for local peoples, also failed to spell out the need to follow international conventions on forests, biodiversity and the global climate.

Under the conventions, the government agreed to protect its virgin forests and reduce forest exploitation.

Calls to delay the House debate on the bill were made on Friday by state-run Brawidjaya University's Faculty of Law and the Forestry Community Communication Forum (FKKM).

Brawidjaya University said the proposed law would fail to protect forest areas because it did not specify appropriate penalties for parties found responsible for degradation of forestry areas.

"The penalty imposed on parties breaching the forestry law and damaging the forest in the bill is too weak," the University said in a statement.

The government would maintain its monopoly over management of the country's forest resources in draft law, the statement said.

FKKM chairman Hasanu Simon said the draft law did not support the government's program of encouraging public participation in the forestry area.

Muslimin denied the bill did not provide enough recognition and protection for local peoples, saying the bill specified the involvement of the local communities in logging activities.

He said the bill stipulated the government would pay more attention to the rights of local groups before granting forest concessions.

He said the bill also required the government to prioritize small-scale businesses in the management of forests.

Meanwhile, chairman of the Indonesian Forestry Community Sudradjat DP said the forestry law should be prepared transparently and carefully to provide more certainties to forestry businesses.(gis)