Officials benefit from logging

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