New forestry bill needs 'revision'

JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives said on Tuesday the government-sponsored forestry bill had to be revised to give local administrations more power in managing the country's forests.

Speaking during the initial deliberation of the bill, the House's four factions -- the ruling Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and the Indonesian Military -- said the bill was unclear about the central government and provincial administrations' roles in managing the forests.

They said the bill should therefore be revised to provide clear-cut roles for the central government and local administrations in the management of forests.

They said in its present form, the bill was like a blank check which could be filled in anyway the government wished.

"This bill indicates the central government is still half- hearted in awarding local administrations greater autonomy in forest management," Ignatius Mulyono, the spokesman for the military faction, said during the general debate on the bill.

He said chapter 7 of the bill did not provide specific provisions for the decentralization of issuing forestry licenses. The chapter only states the central government will delegate the administration of "several aspects of forest management to local administrations".

"The provisions are so general and vague that the real virtue of the legislation will finally depend on the central government," S. Massardy Kaphat of the PDI faction said.

Erham Amin of the Golkar faction said the implementation of the bill should comply with intergovernmental fiscal balance to ensure local administrations and the people benefit from the natural wealth in their areas.

The unfair distribution of revenue has led to separatist rumblings in some natural-resource rich provinces. Separatist activity in these provinces has dramatically increased since the ousting of president Soeharto last May.

People have also become increasingly angry by what they see as timber companies' greed for forest resources and disregard for the welfare of locals.

The four House factions also urged the government to clearly outline the rights of locals living near forest concessions to ensure these rights were recognized.

"Section eight of the bill specifically recognizes the existence of local tribes and their rights in managing the forest. But their existence will be recognized by the say-so of local administrations. We feel this will encourage injustice," Masrur Javas of PPP said.

The four factions also said the penalties imposed on parties charged with damaging forests and causing losses to local people were too lenient to serve as a real deterrent.

The bill stipulates any parties found guilty of damaging forests and involvement in the illegal timber trade face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to Rp 1 billion.

"All parties damaging forest resources should be given harsh punishments," Masrur said.

Ignatius said the bill should also include criminal sanctions for parties who started forest fires.

The submission of the bill to the House on July 19 was greeted by protest and criticism from former ministers, analysts and environmentalists. Critics urged the House to delay deliberations on the bill, saying their tight schedules would cause legislators to overlook flaws in the bill.

Legislator Umbu Mehang Kunda, who chairs House Commission III for agriculture, forestry and plantations, transmigration and food affairs, said he was optimistic the bill could be passed into law before the end of the current legislative term in late August.

"I think we can finish the debate before the end of our term. In the next meeting we will form a special team to deliberate the bill. The team will work during the recess to ensure the bill can be passed before the end of term." (gis)