Govt issues decrees on illegal logging, activists unimpressed
Govt issues decrees on illegal logging, activists unimpressed
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In another effort to curb illegal logging, the government has
issued a joint ministerial decree on the transportation of logs
and a minister of trade decree on the exports of logs.
But the noted green organization, the Indonesian Forum for the
Environment (Walhi), has expressed its skepticism over the
effectiveness of the new decrees, saying that past decrees proved
to be worthless against the illegal loggers, often backed by the
security forces.
Minister of Trade and Industry Rini MS Soewandi, Minister of
Forestry M. Prakosa, and Minister of Transportation Agum Gumelar
signed the joint ministerial decree here on Wednesday evening,
witnessed by Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto
and police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.
The joint ministerial decree stipulates that the interisland
transportation of logs must be carried out by locally-registered
vessels.
"Timber transportation must use an Indonesian-flagged vessel
that is operated by a local shipping company, or a naval ship,"
Rini said, as quoted by Antara.
It is not clear, however, what the precise objective of the
decree is, although Rini noted that it would allow easier
monitoring of log trafficking.
On the same day, Rini signed a ministerial decree to require
log exports to be sent by registered exporters.
These registered exporters, which could also be timber
companies themselves, have to regularly report to the Ministry of
Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Forestry on their planned
annual timber production and exports as well as their actual
production and exports.
"Therefore, it will be easier for us to track down where the
timber products are from," Rini said.
Sudar SA, director general of international trade at the
Ministry of Trade and Industry, said that registered exporters
had to obtain letters of recommendation from the Forest Industry
Revitalization Body (BRIK) for their export plans.
This new mechanism, he said, was aimed at limiting the
exportation of illegal logs as all logs would have to go through
the registered companies.
Now, all traders and exporters can export their logs.
Walhi executive director Longgena Ginting, however, expressed
his pessimism over the effectiveness of the new decrees.
He noted that the decrees would not be effective in halting
illegal logging as long as the government failed to restructure
timber-based companies.
"The decrees don't touch the root of the problem. It will be
fruitless unless the government takes action to restructure the
timber industry," Longgena told The Jakarta Post.
Longgena said the demand for timber products reached some 63
million cubic meters in 2002, far higher than the official
national supply of 12 million cubic meters. This meant that there
were some 51 million cubic meters of illegal logs used last year.
According to Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa, over 10 million
cubic meters of timber was smuggled abroad in 2001 alone.
Many of the smugglers were arrested and brought before the
court, but most escaped serious punishment. Many of them were
allegedly backed by security officers.
Endriartono acknowledged that a number of TNI officers were
involved in illegal logging, but he promised to stop them.
"If there are TNI members protecting log smugglers, I will not
hesitate to shoot them. I will also shoot the businessmen who get
the TNI members involved in the smuggling."
Gen. Da'i also gave a similar promise, saying that he would
sack any local police chiefs who turned a blind eye to illegal
logging.