Officials benefit from logging

SEMARANG: State Minister of the Environment Nabiel Makarim says it is very difficult to end illegal logging across the country as local government officials and people benefit from the practice.

"Local government officials gain financial benefits from the crime and help local people with money collected from illegal loggers," Nabiel said in Semarang, Central Java, on Friday.

The minister said that of 48 environmental issues, illegal logging was the most difficult to deal with. Others included forest fires and river contamination.

He also said that the central government had allocated some Rp 1.5 trillion in funds for reforestation programs.

Nabiel urged relevant authorities to take tough action against illegal loggers.

The country loses millions of dollars every year to illegal logging activities. -- JP