Japan to continue aid for environment

Japan to continue aid for environment

JAKARTA (JP): The Japanese government will continue its
technical assistance on environmental protection and energy
conservation despite the country's economic slowdown.

The director of the Trade. Finance and Economic Cooperation
Division at Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry,
Shinya Kuwayama, said on Thursday the one-year technical
assistance, which was called the Green Aid Plan, would be lower
than in previous years.

"We have estimated about US$8.33 million or 1 billion yen to
finance the project," Kuwayama told reporters in a media
briefing.

The Japanese government spent about $12.5 million last year
and $15 million in 1999 to finance similar projects.

Kuwayama said this year the project would aim at promoting the
use of environmentally friendly technology and lowering the cost
of energy in the rubber industry.

The Green Aid Plan was launched in Indonesia in 1993. Under
the project, the Japanese government will finance technical
assistance in the form of providing experts, trainings and
technology to protect the environment and save energy resources.

The director of the Center for Resources, Regions and
Environment Research and Development at the Ministry of Industry
and Trade, Rahayubudi, said the project would help the country's
rubber industry reduce its energy cost.

Rahayubudi recalled that the Indonesian government was due to
hike prices of fuel and power.

"The project will help the rubber industry lower its energy
costs," Rahayubudi said.

Rahayubudi added that the project would also help reduce the
negative impact of the rubber industry on the natural environment
such as from the release of pollutants.

He said the ministry was studying the possibility of
implementing the project in other industries, such as cement and
steel.

The project has been thus far implemented in seven Asian
countries including Vietnam, the Phillipines, China, Thailand,
India and Malaysia. (03)