RI flexible on environment law

RI flexible on environment law

JAKARTA (JP): The government is willing to reconsider a five-
year grace period for businesses to comply with the future law on
environment, a cabinet minister said yesterday.

The government-sponsored bill, a revision of the 1982 law, has
been submitted to the House of Representatives and deliberations
are expected to begin soon.

State Minister of the Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja said,
"If the House thinks the five-year period will be too long, the
government is willing to reconsider it."

The House is expected to pass the bill by the end of
September.

Legislators from the United Development Party (PPP) said the
five-year grace period would be too long because dishonest
entrepreneurs would have time to rake in profits while
disregarding the environment.

Sarwono said the grace period was created so that businesses
would have time to adopt environment-friendly technology, which
would also have to improve.

Deregulation of licensing might happen during the grace
period, he said.

Sarwono said the grace period would give the government better
reason to take tough action against businesses which failed to
abide by the law. It could, for instance, revoke their permits.

But he acknowledged that the effectiveness of the law would
depend greatly on law enforcers' technical skills and integrity.
(aan)