Govt revokes three forest concessions

Govt revokes three forest concessions

JAKARTA (JP): Director General of Forest Utilization Titus
Sarijanto said yesterday three forest concessions had been
canceled last year, raising the total number of revoked or
unextended concessions to 116.

Titus said the three concessions were in Kalimantan. He
refused to elaborate.

He said that, from 1990 to 1996, 53 concessions had been
revoked -- meaning the 20-year concessions had ended before
expiry -- or not extended.

He said that some of the 116 concessions were being
rehabilitated by state forestry firms while others were being
managed as joint ventures between state firms and former
managers.

Titus said the country had 488 concessionaires, down from 550
in the early 1970s.

Titus said the performance of concessionaires had improved.

According to the ministry, in the 1994/1995 fiscal year, only
11 percent of the concessionaires performed "well". This
increased to 21 percent the following fiscal year.

The percentage of concessionaires that performed
"unexceptionally" fell from 73 percent in 1994/1995 to 69 percent
the following fiscal year and those that performed "poorly"
dropped from 16 percent to 10 percent.

Titus said the government had given first warnings to 13
concessionaires over poor logging practices and failure to
reforest land.

Eleven concessionaires have received second warnings and three
have received third warnings.

Titus said that, if concessionaires failed to respond after a
third warning, the government would consider revoking their
licenses.

The government gave concessionaires permits to log 22.5
million cubic meters of timber last year. By September, only 16
million cubic meters had been logged because of heavy rain and
transport problems. (pwn)