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)