Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya Bakar requested that the implementation of the Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) be carried out in full for timber entrepreneurs, including furniture and handicraft products.

This responds to the issuance of Minister of Trade Regulation (Permendag) No.66 / M-DAG / PER / 8/2015 which revised Permendag No.97 / M-DAG / PER / 12/2014 concerning Provisions on Export of Forestry Industry Products. In the revision, it was also stipulated that the plan to release furniture and handicraft products included in the 15 HS Code is not required to use timber legality certificate documents in the export process.

The request was realized by sending a letter to Economic Minister Darmin Nasution. The letter Number S.444 / MenLHK-PHPL / 2015 dated October 6, 2015 was also sent to the Minister of Trade and the minister of industry.

“Based on a multi-stakeholder agreement, the SVLK is mandatory and has been fully implemented since January 1, 2013,” wrote Minister Siti in the letter. He requested that SVLK policies remain consistent in the current regulatory deregulation process.

Siti reminded that SVLK has received international recognition. Even the European Union (EU) has recognized that SVLK can meet EU Timber Regulation. Indonesia-EU has a voluntary partnership agreement (VPA) for law enforcement, improved governance and trade in the forestry sector (FLEGT). Where Indonesia has ratified the agreement based on Presidential Regulation No. 21 of 2014. Currently Indonesia-EU is in the finalization stage of implementing the FLEGT license. Furniture products are included as part of the agreement.

The use of SVLK documents was initially carried out in stages on plywood, woodworking, and pulp and paper products. The consideration of the business actors of the group is better prepared. Meanwhile, new furniture and handicraft products are required on January 1, 2014.

But in its development, the furniture industry said it was not ready. Then based on a joint agreement between the Minister of Trade and the Minister of Industry, a transitional policy was adopted in the form of the use of the Export Declaration document (DE) until 31 December 2015.

Source: www.republika.co.id