Ministry, NGO cooperation on forest

Ministry, NGO cooperation on forest

The Ministry of Forestry has signed a cooperation agreement
with non-governmental organizations Indonesia Corruption Watch
and Greenomics Indonesia to ensure transparency in the awarding
of licenses in the forestry industry.

Under the recently signed agreement, which is valid for one
year, the three parties will team up to ensure that the awarding
of forest utilization licenses by the ministry to companies be
conducted in a "transparent, fair, effective and efficient" way,
according to a press statement issued by the ministry.

Furthermore, they will ensure that no corruption is involved
in the process of the determining licensees, as well as ensuring
that the contracts are awarded to companies that comply with
sustainable development principles.

The ministry will give the NGOs access to its database and
allow them to monitor the bidding process, "both directly and
indirectly".

The forestry industry is known to be one of the most corrupt
sectors in the country as most of the licenses have been awarded
to companies based on their political connections rather than
their business acumen. Many of them later wiped out whole swaths
of natural forests, even in areas not stipulated under the
licenses with total impunity. Little or no effort has been made
to replant the millions of hectares of denuded forest land. -- JP