Legacy of Bob Hasan's monopoly

Legacy of Bob Hasan's monopoly

From Bisnis Indonesia

The Association of Indonesian Forest Concessionaires (APHI) has, since 1990, collected from each member compulsory dues amounting to US$2 per hectare for purposes of inventory and mapping of forest concessions. At the time, the total area was estimated at 60 million hectares.

APHI -- chaired at the time by Mohammad "Bob" Hasan -- appointed newly established company PT Adikarto Printindo, then owned by Bambang Yoga Sugama, to conduct mapping of forest concessions throughout Indonesia.

In 1991, PT Adikarto Printindo was taken over by Bob Hasan and its name changed to PT Mapindo Parama, the only company permitted to carry out photography and mapping of all forest concessions in Indonesia. Mapping by other companies/consultants was not recognized by the APHI.

Up to now, the mapping has not been finished. A number of companies which already have part of the mapping data, including Kayu Lapis Indonesia, say that the maps strongly fail to meet the criteria for mapping. No control point used in the process of mapping is the result of measurements in the field. They were taken from old maps with a scale of 1:250,000, which is very inadequate and unfeasible scientifically to control the photography at a scale of 1:20,000.

Thus, apart from the loss of time and the waste, the market monopoly of $120 million (for inventory every five years) also stifles a dozen mapping companies.

We propose that:

1. Monopolistic practices in photography and mapping in forestry circles be eradicated.

2. PT Mapindo Parama and APHI be obliged to account for the quality of, and all the funds used for, the production of aerial photographs and forestry maps.

3. All administrative requirements for national private consultants who operate in the forestry business be abolished. For technical consultants, a consultancy service business permit should be adequate to offer their services.

GATOT PURNOMO

Jakarta