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He said that, from 1990 to 1996, 53 concessions had been revoked -- meaning the 20-year concessions had ended before expiry -- or not extended.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