NGOs back cancellation of forestry concessions

NGOs back cancellation of forestry concessions

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb
The Jakarta Post/Padang

A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGO) has supported
the Mentawai regent's decision to revoke 17 licenses for the
right to undertake and profit from logging in forests on the
Mentawai islands, West Sumatra.

According to the NGO coalition, the decision was correct as
the felling of forests on the Mentawai islands, all of which are
small, would endanger the islands' environments.

"As an alternative for the future, the government should
develop programs that would enable local people to benefit from
the forests without endangering them," said Prasetyo, the leader
of an NGO coalition called the Mentawai Coalition of Civil
Community Concern (KSMP).

Among the NGOs in the coalition are the Indonesian Forum for
the Environment (Walhi)'s West Sumatra chapter, Indonesia
International Conservation (CII) and the Citra Mandiri Foundation
(YCM).

The local legislative council, represented by its speaker,
Kortanius Sabeleakek, also welcomed the decision by the Mentawai
regent. "The licenses never produced a single cent in revenue for
the regency. The regent has done the right thing in revoking the
licenses," said Kortanius.

Regent Edison revoked the licenses through Decree No. 41/2005,
which was issued on April 9 this year.

The main reason behind the revocation of the license was
apparently the fact that the regency had not benefited
financially.

In its 2004 annual report, the local government said it had
received no revenues from the forestry sector, even though its
annual revenue target for the sector had been set at Rp 2.5
billion (US$278,000). The report, presented by officials from
the Mentawai Revenue Office to a council hearing in March,
surprised many of the councillors. Although the local government
had granted 17 licenses in 2004 for the right to undertake
logging within a 30,000-hectare area, the administration had not
received any money in fees from the timber companies following
the issuance of the concessions.

Rio, an official from the Mentawai Islands Forestry Office,
had earlier said that the timber firms had refused to pay the
fees, claiming they were too high.

Fees are imposed on a wide range of forestry activities,
including the use of heavy machinery and chain saws, and the
stockpiling of logs.