Indonesia: Business as Usual as Doubtful Forestry Practices Continue
12/7/97
OVERVIEW, SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE
Fourt-five of the 144 timber exploitation licenses that were revoked
during the Indonesian forest infernos have been reinstated. The
permits allow companies to make use of the timber and wood from areas
that have been converted into plantations, timber estates or
settlement areas. It is unclear whether they will face any sanctions
at all. Its business as usual as the Indonesian forest liquidation
"fire sale" continues apace.
g.b.
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Jakarta reinstates 45 permits revoked for forest burning
violations
Source: Agence France-Presse
Status: Copyright 1997, contact source for reprint permissions
Date: Tuesday, December 2, 1997
JAKARTA, Dec 2 (AFP) - Indonesian authorities have reinstated 45 of
144 timber exploitation permits held by companies that were revoked in
October following widespread forest fires, a report said Tuesday.
The permits were returned to the companies after they met requirements
for clearing land and forest areas without fire and for possessing
adequate equipment, personnel and funds to do so, the Antara news
agency quoted a senior forestry official as saying.
The forestry ministry's director of forest exploitation, Sugeng
Widodo, said that 36 of the reinstated permits were held by timber
estate companies and nine by plantation companies.
The 45 permits were held by 21 companies.
The Antara news agency said the permits of three companies linked to
timber baron Muhamad "Bob'" Hasan were among those reinstated.
On October 3, Indonesia revoked a total of 151 timber permits held by
29 companies suspected of using fire to clear their concessession for
new planting or expansion.
Of the 144 revoked in October, not 151 as reported earlier by the
ministry, Widodo said 99 had yet to be reinstated.
The permits allow companies to make use of the timber and wood from
areas that have been converted into plantations, timber estates or
settlement areas.
The government has blamed forestry and plantation companies for most
of the forest and ground fires which have raged around the country for
most of the year, causing a thick smoke haze that has blanketed the
region and caused serious air traffic disruptions and health problems.
Widodo however did not say whether the companies were still facing
legal sanctions for the slash and burn practices that caused the
companies to lose their permits in October.
The authorities said earlier that they were investigating the 29
companies for damaging or polluting the environment following the
fires on their concession areas.