Office set to handle illegal logging

JAKARTA: The government is set to establish a one-stop law enforcement office to deal with illegal logging in provinces across the country.

According to a draft joint decree which is scheduled to be signed next week, the office will consist of officials from the Office of the State Minister of the Environment, the National Police and the Attorney General's Office.

Each of the three state institutions will place five officials in each office, the draft says.

"We are all aware of the weak law enforcement that has hampered efforts to curb illegal logging. We hope the one-stop office can speed up legal processing of the crime," environment minister Nabiel Makarim said on Thursday.

Under the new agreement, cases will be heard by judges who have been trained to deal with illegal logging.

The government is also drafting a regulation in lieu of law, which stipulates a new set of legal procedure to investigate illegal logging. The regulation will specify the death penalty as maximum punishment.

"Once the regulation takes effect these offices will also deal with other criminal acts that damage the environment," Nabiel remarked. --JP