RAPP's plan to increase output meets opposition

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

An environmental organization has urged the Riau provincial administration to prohibit pulp and paper mill PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) from increasing its annual output because it would adversely affect the environment.

Tropika Foundation said any increase in the mill's output would certainly encourage forest plundering, especially in protected forests, since its timber estates would not be able to supply enough logs as raw material for the mill.

Harijal, chairman of the foundation, said the company had quietly increased production to 1.8 million tons of pulp and paper annually from the current 1.1 million.

RAPP, the largest pulp and paper industry in Southeast Asia, is located in Pelalawan regency, some 75 kilometers east of Pekanbaru, capital of Riau province.

According to Harijal, around 99 percent of the company's raw material was taken from natural forests, and he therefore feared that any increase in output would further damage the forests.

"Only some 35,000 cubic meters of raw material are taken from the company's timber estates," Harijal told The Jakarta Post.

Rampant illegal logging in Bukit Tiga Puluh and Kerinci Seblat National Parks have disturbed the habitats of protected species and the ecosystem in the province.

Nationally, legal production of wood is only 12 million cubic meters, while the national capacity of the related-wood industry reaches G63 million cubic meters. Environmentalists said illegal logs make up the difference.

According to Harijal, PT RAPP holds a concession to totally destroy 191,750 hectares of natural forest to convert it into a timber estate (HPH-TI) and another 330,000 hectares for an HPH-TI reserve.

A company in possession of an HPH-TI concession is allowed to fell all the trees in the natural forest and convert it into a monoculture forest.

He said that in trying to find raw material, PT RAPP had also formed partnerships with 19 timber companies and 24 cooperatives and farmer groups that produce timber.

According to Harijal, the 19 partner companies are expected to convert some 208,678 hectares of natural forest into timber estates, while the cooperative and farmer groups are expected to convert some 21,751 hectares.

He also accused the company of buying undocumented logs that are felled illegally.

According to the environmentalist, letters urging that the increase in RAPP's production be rejected were sent to the President, the industry and trade minister, the environment minister, the forestry minister and the Riau governor on Jan. 31.

"But we have not received any response," he added.

Ibrahim Hassan, the company's president, was not available for comment on Wednesday.