On October 18, 2012 PT Equality Indonesia provided a Timber Legality Verification (VLK) certificate to PT. RHM. This certificate is only based on formal procedures based on documents that have been prepared in such a way by the company without seeing the actual facts of the field. Based on the facts from the results of field monitoring that we have done it is inappropriate for this company to get a certificate. Here are some important reasons behind the refusal to give a certificate to PT. RHM:

  1. Issuance of Decree No. 90 / Menhut-II / 2007 dated March 27, 2007 concerning Provision of IUPHHK in HTI in Plantation Forests to PT. Rimba Hutani Mas for Production Forest Areas + 67,100 Ha in South Sumatra Province was indicated to have been violated. The indication of violation of the law, namely the Minister of Forestry at that time, issued a Decree of the IUPHHK-HTI ignoring the recommendations of the Governor of South Sumatra and the Regent of Musi Banyuasin. Where from the auction area of ​​+ 66,055 Ha which was won by PT. RHM is only recommended by the Governor of South Sumatra for IUPHHK-HT a. PT. Rimba Hutani Mas with an area of ​​+ 22,650 Ha. However, the fact is that the Minister of Forestry actually increased the area, which originally had an area of ​​+ 66,055 Ha, increasing to + 67,100 Ha. Ignoring the Governor’s recommendations is a form of violation as stipulated in Article 62 paragraph (3) PP No. 6 of 2007 jo PP No. 3 of 2008 concerning Forest Arrangement and Preparation of Forest Management and Forest Utilization Plans, whereby according to the provisions of article 62 paragraph (3) it is stated that IUPHHK in HTI in plantation forests is given by the Minister based on the recommendation of the governor who has received consideration from the regent / mayor. The implications of ignoring the recommendations of the South Sumatra Governor as mentioned above, the total area of ​​the PT IUPHHK-HT. RHM in the Lalan production area of ​​the Musi Banyuasin Regency, South Sumatra Province increased by 1045 Ha from the auctioned area (from 66,055 Ha to 67,100 Ha);
  2. The project location carried out by the AMDAL study in 2006 was only in the area of ​​66,055 Ha as the DECREE OF THE MINISTER OF FORESTRY No. SK. 515 / Menhut-VI / 2005 dated December 27, 2005, PT. Rimba Hutani Mas was named the winner of the bidding in the auction of IUPHHK-HTI in Plantation Forests for an area of ​​production of an area of ​​+ 66,055 Ha. This means that for the excess area of ​​1045 Ha no environmental impact analysis was carried out so that it was indicated that it violated the provisions of Article 22 of Law No. 32 of 2009 concerning the Protection and Management of Life Circles;
  3. Based on + 67,100 Ha of IUPHHK-HT issued by the Minister of Forestry on March 27, 2007, PT. RHM will enjoy 3 million m3 of natural wood products. That is also based on their planning data. Whereas based on field observations and interviews with communities living around the location (crossing the wooden transport roadside of PT. RHM towards Jambi by WBH), information was obtained that the period 2008-2009 the number of timber transport trucks PT. RHM contains natural wood that passes around 200 trucks every day. Likewise from the river lane, based on field observation data by the people of Kepayang village (2009), it was found that the amount of natural wood transported was 9 pontoons or ranged from 3600-5400 m3 / 19 days of observation. This means that PT. RHM has indicated that it has taken advantage of natural forests which have caused forest destruction. This action is contrary to Article 50 paragraph (2) of Law No. 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry, namely: Every person who is granted an area utilization business permit, a business permit to utilize an environmental service, a timber and non-timber forest product utilization permit, and a timber and non-timber forest product collection permit, is prohibited from carrying out activities that cause forest damage
  4. Location of PT IUPHHK-HT RHM is in a highly productive production forest. When referring to the provisions of Article 38 paragraph (3) PP N0. 6 of 2007 and PP No. 3 of 2008, utilization of timber forest products in HTI was only carried out in unproductive production forests. Unproductive production forests according to the provisions of article 3 paragraph (2) Minister of Forestry Regulation P. 18 / Menhut-II / 2004 are production forest areas whose vegetation cover is very rare / empty in the form of shrubs, cultivation, reeds and vacant land with technical criteria, 1) core trees with a diameter of at least 20 (twenty) cm less than 25 (twenty five) stems / each hectare, 2) parent trees less than 10 (ten) stems / each hectare, and 3) less natural regeneration, namely:
    – Seedling seedlings of less than 1,000 (one thousand) stems per hectare, and / or – Trees at the stake level are less than 240 (two hundred forty) stems per hectare, and / or – Trees in poles are less than 75 (seventy five) stems per hectar
  5. Based on field observations (the results of an investigation into the distribution of wood products by Wahana Bumi Hijau in 2009), the results of interviews with local communities, documentation of photographs related to this matter is known that large logs (40 up) were transported by PT. RHM headed for PT. Lonthar Papyrus Pulp and Paper Industries in Jambi Province, it is estimated that this wood is not for paper raw materials but is taken to a certain place (usually at night) outside the location of PT. Lonthar Papyrus Pulp and Paper Industries (Pulp and Paper company whose raw materials are supplied by PT. RHM);
  6. PT. RHM indicated that deforestation, dredging of land outside the IUPHHK-HT area. This activity is contrary to Article 14 PP No. 45 of 2004 concerning Forest Protection, namely: 1.Forest use and use of forest areas can only be done if it has obtained permission from an authorized official. 2. Included in forest utilization activities without permission are the permit holder conducts forest utilization outside the area given the permit, namely :
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  • the permit holder conducts forest utilization outside the area given the permit;
  • the permit holder conducts forest utilization exceeds the permitted volume target;
  • the permit holder conducts fishing / collection of flora and fauna exceeding the specified target / quota;
  • the permit holder uses the forest within a radius from a certain location that is prohibited by law.

7. PT. RHM has used the Merang River bank in a large number for Timber Collection / Logyard, making the access canal transport the remaining natural wood land clearing products in the translucent concession to Sungai Merang, the result of this activity is the destruction of riverbanks and changes Merang river flow (around Logyard). This action is contrary to Article 25 PP No. 35 of 1991 concerning the River and article 50 paragraph (3) number 3 and 4 of Law No. 0. 41 of 1999 concerning Forestry. The following is an excerpt from the stipulation:
Article 25 PP no. 35 of 1991 reads “It is prohibited to change the flow of the river except with the permission of the authorized official”
Article 50 paragraph (3) numbers 3 and 4 read:
Everyone is prohibited: cutting trees in a forest area with a radius or distance of up to 100 (one hundred) meters from the left and right of the river bank and 50 (fifty) meters from the left and right bank of the tributary;

Based on the facts above, PT. Rimba Hutani Mas (RHM) cannot fulfill all the criteria and indicators on the standards and guidelines for implementing the Performance Assessment of Sustainable Production Forest Management and Timber Legality Verification as stipulated by the director general of forestry business development (attachment 2.1) number P.8 / VI-BPPHH / 2011 December 30, 2011. Therefore, JPIK South Sumatra expressly states that PT. Rimba Hutani Mas is not eligible to receive WOOD LEGALITY VERIFICATION CERTIFICATE.

For further information, please contact:
Yuliusman Zawawi, JPIK Pocal Points, South Sumatra
Phone: +62 821 7510 2581
E-mail: yoesplg@yahoo.co.id

NOTE FOR EDITORS

The Timber Legality Verification Standard (SVLK) is a requirement to fulfill the timber legality / product made based on the agreement of forestry stakeholders which includes standards, criteria, indicators, verifiers, verification methods, and assessment norms.

The Sustainable Production Forest Management Performance Assessment System is a series of PHPL performance appraisal processes and Timber Legality Verification for timber concession holders that contain standards, criteria, verifiers, verification methods, and assessment norms.

JPIK is an Independent Forest Monitoring Network that was agreed and declared on 23 September 2010 by 29 NGOs and NGO Networks from Aceh to Papua. The establishment of JPIK is a manifestation of commitment to contribute actively in promoting good forestry governance by ensuring credibility and accountability of the implementation of the system for Assessing the Performance of Sustainable Production Forest Management (PK-PHPL) and Timber Legality Verification (VLK). JPIK until the end of October 2012 consisted of 41 institutions and 259 individuals. JPIK has the role of monitoring the implementation of SVLK, from the accreditation process, assessment / verification of business actors, to the process of implementing exports.

Wahana Bumi Hijau (WBH)
Source: http://www.wbh.or.id