Govt. criticized for compromising with polluters

Govt. criticized for compromising with polluters

JAKARTA (JP): A legislator lashed out at the government
yesterday for being over-tolerant with polluting industrial
companies.

"It is time to stop compromising with the polluters. The
government must take strict action against them," Markus Wauran,
chairman of House of Representatives' commission which deals with
environmental issues, told journalists.

He said the authorities should simply revoke the operating
licenses of industrial plants which continued to pollute the
environment instead of giving them more time to adjust.

He recalled that the government, in July 1989, summoned dozens
of the worse polluting companies. They were let off after
pledging to install the necessary proper waste treatment facility
within six months.

However, pollution from most of these plants has continued.

Instead of punishing them, the government had repeatedly
extended the deadline, Markus said.

"There must be a limit to tolerance," he said, adding that the
time has now come for the government to act and make a break
through.

He fully understands the government is facing a dilemma
because punishing polluters could affect the economy.

But Indonesia has to forge ahead with the concept of
sustainable development and not simply look for quick growth at
the expense of the environment.

"The government must be firm and consistent in dealing with
environmental cases," Markus said.

The House member observed that the government failed to fully
implement the sustainable development principles because of lack
of funds, lack of experts and the lack of coordination among
various government agencies.

There is also lack of control and lack of regulations to
enforce the environmental law.

"Delinquent companies are capitalizing on these weaknesses,"
Markus said.

The Antara national news agency reported yesterday that the
Lampung provincial government has closed down seven plants
because of their failure to control their waste. Lampung appears
to have taken the lead in the fight against industrial polluters.

There is no excuse for companies to keep polluting the river
or the air where they operate. The government is providing soft
loans for companies to buy the necessary facilities to treat
their waste.

Rp 255 billion came from the Japan Overseas Economic
Development. Nabiel Makarim, deputy chairman of the Environmental
Impact Management Agency said one company alone received Rp 55
billion. The agency however declined to name the companies which
received assistance.

Markus said the government must publicly announce the names of
the recipients because what they received were soft loans.
"People have the right to monitor the use of such loans," he
said.

Markus said he has collected data of companies which are
polluting the environment and plans to go public with their names
next month.

"Some of them are foreign companies from countries which boast
about the need to preserve the environment," he said.

Markus suggested that people boycott the products of the
polluting companies to make them comply with the principles of
the sustainable development. "I call upon the public not to buy
the products of the polluting companies," he said.

He also urged importers to reject products which are not
environmentally friendly.(sim)