Senior officials to discuss illegal timber trade

Senior officials to discuss illegal timber trade

JAKARTA (JP): Alarmed by rampant illegal logging, several
high-ranking officials will meet tomorrow to discuss how to
improve forest protection, Minister of Forestry Djamaludin
Suryohadikusumo said yesterday.

The meeting, to be held at the Manggala Wanabhakti building
here, is to involve members of the Joint Team for Forest
Security, including the forestry minister, Armed Forces Chief
Gen. Feisal Tanjung, Attorney General Singgih and Police Chief
Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo.

The joint team, comprising officials from the ministry of
forestry, the Attorney General's Office, police and the Armed
Forces, was formed last year under Presidential Decree No.
22/1995 to combat violations of the law on timber trading and
distribution.

Djamaludin was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday that the
meeting was called because the team was not properly coordinated,
allowing illegal timber trading to continue.

According to press reports, stolen or "undocumented" logs and
processed wood have been found in large quantities recently.

In Central Java, for example, the state-owned timber company
Perhutani, reported that the amount of undocumented logs and
processed wood shipped to ports in Semarang, Juana and Tegal in
the first eight months of this year reached 41,347.62 cubic
meters. The total amount of documented timber entering these
three ports in the same period was 166,318.1 cubic meters.

Ships were reportedly able to enter the three ports and unload
their timber without reporting to the proper agencies as they are
required to do so by law.

Djamaludin acknowledged that illegal timber trading prevailed
because the joint team was yet to work in coordination. (jsk)