'No more forest concessionaires'

'No more forest concessionaires'

KENDARI, Southeast Sulawesi: Governor La Ode Kaimuddin said
yesterday the province is closed to new logging concessionaires
because its forests need time to recover.

"Forest concessionaires may boost economic development, but in
our province they have caused substantial ecological and
financial damage," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

He gave as a example the case of PT Gemini Timber in Kolaka
regency whose license to exploit 23,000 hectares of land was
recently revoked because of the extensive damage it has caused in
the forests. The company, which started operations in 1976, also
had Rp 1.3 billion of land taxes in arrears.

The governor said his office is currently compiling a list of
the "sins" committed by concessionaires in the province, such as
their failure to develop the surrounding community. The list will
later be submitted to the Minister of Forestry, he said.

Kaimuddin said dozens of hectares of forest have been
destroyed by timber companies. The province has 3.8 million
hectares of forests, including 420,800 hectares of protected
areas and 669,000 hectares of productive forests. (swe)