Prabowo plans to toughen sanctions for companies causing forest fires
Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto plans to toughen sanctions against companies proven to be involved in and causing forest and land fires (karhutla) in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
Consequently, President Prabowo has instructed the Minister of State Secretary, Prasetyo Hadi, and the Minister of Law, Supratman Andi Agtas, to deepen their study of the provisions regulating sanctions for perpetrators of forest fires.
“I have said that the Minister of State Secretary and the Minister of Law should look into this so that the legal sanctions, and perhaps the laws, can be requested from the DPR (House of Representatives) to be strengthened, classifying this as ecological terrorism. This is very serious,” said President Prababer, as quoted from an official broadcast by the Presidential Secretariat in Jakarta on Thursday.
The directive to review sanctions for companies involved in forest fires was given directly by President Prabowo to his staff during a limited meeting held via hybrid format with several state officials on Wednesday (16/9). During the meeting, the President received the latest reports regarding forest fire management in Sumatra and Kalimantan, as well as mitigation steps for the next one and a half months, given that the situation is believed to remain quite vulnerable during that period.
On the same occasion, the President also ordered regional leaders to immediately revoke regional regulations (perda) that allow for the burning of forests and lands. “The regional regulations must be revoked immediately. The Minister of Home Affairs must ensure this, and if necessary, I will say we should strengthen the national laws,” said the President.
According to the President, communities in need of assistance for land cultivation can request government aid so that they no longer burn forests and lands. “I have said there should be no excuses regarding local wisdom and so on. I believe that is just an excuse. I have stated that if the people need it, we will help clear the land. But this truly must not continue. There must be no more forest fires for land clearing or any other reason,” said President Prabowo.
The limited meeting on forest fires was attended by several state officials both in person and via video conference. Officials participating in the meeting included Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, Minister of Transportation Dudy Purwagandhi, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency Lieutenant General Suharyanto, Head of Basarnas Air Marshal Mohammad Syafii, Head of BMKG Teuku Faisal Fathani, Commander of the TNI General Agus Subiyanto, Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak, Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya.