Jokowi Urged to Give Strict Sanctions on Illegal Timber Producers

JAKARTA, SATUHARAPAN.COM – The government of Joko Widodo has been urged to give strict sanctions to companies that violate the implementation of the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK).

Based on the results of monitoring conducted by the Independent Forest Monitoring Network (JPIK), Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI), and KSPPM, found a number of companies that did not have SLVK, including PT. Toba Pulp Lestari, PT. Adindo Hutani Lestari and PT. Mohtra Agung Persada.

“The company has violated the Minister of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) regulations regarding the management of sustainable production forests and verification of timber legality, because the regulation is required to use raw materials originating from certified sources,” said JPIK Dynamic Coordinator Muhamad Kosar during a Press Conference in Jakarta, on Tuesday (12/22).

He explained that PT Toba Pulp Lestari until now is still logging customary forests, besides that, PT TPL itself has not conducted a comprehensive socialization and consultation in terms of requests for indigenous peoples’ approval which is a big problem to date.

“This situation is getting worse because there is no certainty of ownership of joint management between the company and the community,” he said.

He also said that companies that have licenses such as PT Adindo Hutan Lestari located in Nunukan Regency in North Kalimantan Province also cut down peat forests.

“Land clearing in peat areas in logging practices in protected areas clearly violates SVLK rules,” he said.

He also said that PT Mohtara Agung Persada in North Maluku is an HPH / IUPHHK-HA company that has been actively operating but until now the company does not have SLVK, besides that the company also does logging outside concessions, shipping timber without certification and embezzlement production report.

“in the period January to September 2015, the company has delivered round logs that do not have certificates to Sulawesi and East Java, whereas according to KLHK data there is no production of logs originating from North Maluku, this is clearly PT Mohtara Agung Persada sending illegal timber, “he said.