Legislators sign off on forestry bill

Legislators sign off on forestry bill

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives finally approved on
Tuesday the government-sponsored forestry bill without major
changes despite controversy during its deliberation.

Minister of Forestry and Plantations Muslimin Nasution said he
was relieved that the bill, which will replace the 1967 Forestry
Law, was passed earlier than scheduled.

He acknowledged that the bill, which is subject to the
President's approval before it can become law, was not flawless
and would be open for revision in the future.

The bill underwent several revisions before it was submitted
to the House, he said, adding that the one deliberated by
legislatures was the 18th forestry draft law prepared by the
government since April.

The bill, which was submitted to the House on July 19, was
scheduled for approval by the end of September.

Non-governmental organizations and environmentalists have
objected to the bill, saying it fails to outline local tribes'
rights in managing the forest. They insisted that the government
officially recognize local tribes' areas of forest as "folk
forest".

Muslimin argued that the new law, unlike its predecessor,
recognized the existence of local tribes and their rights in
managing the forest under the say-so of local administrations.

"Folk forest is public forest where private laws can't be
endorsed, so the new law puts it under civil law. The enactment
of the law will strengthen the tribes' rights and simplify the
management of the forests," Muslimin after the plenary session.

The law also allows greater participation from cooperatives
and local companies to benefit from the country's forest
resources.

Head of House Commission III Umbu Mehang Kunda said the new
law would change the country's perspective in its forest
management from a "timber management" approach to "forest
management".

He added that it provided decentralized autonomy, giving local
administrations greater autonomy in forest management and leaving
the central government as the arranger of the strategic and macro
policies on forestry management. (01)