Straight from the "trojan" horses mouth............................... ......................................................................
8 th October 1997
Top Stories
Govt reconsiders license
recovations
JAKARTA - The government
plans to `review' already-revoked
logging licences for develo
Rupiah stable but fragile
JAKARTA (IO) - The rupiah
yesterday stabilized in a narrow range
between 3,600 and 3,700 against the
dollar on sporadic central bank
intervention, dealers said.
Higher US$ strains state oil
subsidy
JAKARTA (IO) - For every Rp100
fall in the value of the currency
against the dollar, the government
would have to shell out around
Rp600 billion to subsidize oil
prices, Mines and Energy Ministry
officials said on Tuesday.
Indonesia tie Vietnam 2-2
JAKARTA (IO) - Bima Sakti and
Kurniawan Dwi Julianto goals could
not help Indonesia win against
Vietnam in SEA Games XIX soccer
qualifying round yesterday at
Senayan Main Stadium, Jakarta.
Japanese banks forced to write off
bad loans
TOKYO - Japan's biggest banks
are rushing to wipe some of their
estimated 28 trillion yen (US$230
billion) of bad loans from their books
by the end of the fiscal year, spurred
by new government standards that
force them to take a stricter look at
their own balance sheets.
Govt reconsiders license recovations
JAKARTA - The government plans to `review' already-revoked logging licences
for development `sustainability' reasons, officials said here yesterday.
The forestry ministry has accused 180 forestry companies of allegedly conducting
slash-and-burn land clearing practices after giving the companies 15 days to speak
for themselves.
The allegations were based on satellite monitoring, which caught a number of
hotspots identified as locations of logging companies.
Last Friday, the time was up for the companies and the forestry ministry lifted 151
timber utilization permits held by 29 companies, despite lack of evidence.
Only 65 companies met the October 2 deadline to submit official audit reports to
deny the charges.
Asked why the licences were revoked without sufficient proof, Director General of
Forest Utilization Soemarsono said that what the forestry ministry did is "only to
stop logging activities".
"Now that some of them have come up with legal defenses, it is only logical for us
to review our decision," Soemarsono told a press conference here yesterday.
Another reason for the review, according to Soemarsono, is the development
interest. "We just cannot maintain our development activities without timber.
Development needs timber badly."
The forestry companies which got reprieves are those whose reports are equipped
with legal documents. Until now, 121 companies have submitted their defenses to
the forestry ministry, 61 of which are equipped with legal documents.
The Director of Forest Protection and Natural Preservation, Titus Sarijanto, who
was present at the press conference, said that companies which have equipped
their defenses with legal documents will likely get reprieves.
"We don't have reason to review their licences since they legally are not guilty,"
Sarijanto said.
Most of the companies submitted their reports after passing the deadline set by
the forestry ministry.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Impact Control Agency (Bapedal) is gathering
evidence to take legal action against the 29 firms which have lost their permits.
"Our teams are currently taking samples to prove that there has been pollution and
environmental damage done," said an official of Bapedal, Nabiel Makarim.
"These samples will be used as evidence to take these companies to court," said
Makarim, who heads the agency's pollution control department.
He said the evidence included air samples.
Forestry Minister Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo said that fires have cut a
96,000-hectare scar across Indonesia and cost more than 45 billion rupiah (US$12.5
million) in other damage.
He said the financial loss had come from 15,600 hectares of plantations being used
to grow profitable commodities such as palm oil and rubber. The remaining 80,000
hectares were forest areas, including protected and national forests,
Suryohadikusumo said, giving his ministry's first estimate of damage.
Suryohadikusomo said the fires in plantations had begun to subside and that most
of the fires still burning were in beach areas where small farmers were still burning
land.
"But they [the farmers] should not be blamed as they are poor and have no
money," he said.
He said the government was training 8,600 personnel with financial assistance
from the United States, Canada and Germany to fight fires that have cast a pall of
choking smoke over much of Indonesia and neighboring countries.
Air quality levels have reached alarming levels in provinces throughout the
islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan while areas in Java were also reporting a
deterioration in air quality Monday.
8 th October 1997
Top Stories
Govt reconsiders license
recovations
JAKARTA - The government
plans to `review' already-revoked
logging licences for develo
Rupiah stable but fragile
JAKARTA (IO) - The rupiah
yesterday stabilized in a narrow range
between 3,600 and 3,700 against the
dollar on sporadic central bank
intervention, dealers said.
Higher US$ strains state oil
subsidy
JAKARTA (IO) - For every Rp100
fall in the value of the currency
against the dollar, the government
would have to shell out around
Rp600 billion to subsidize oil
prices, Mines and Energy Ministry
officials said on Tuesday.
Indonesia tie Vietnam 2-2
JAKARTA (IO) - Bima Sakti and
Kurniawan Dwi Julianto goals could
not help Indonesia win against
Vietnam in SEA Games XIX soccer
qualifying round yesterday at
Senayan Main Stadium, Jakarta.
Japanese banks forced to write off
bad loans
TOKYO - Japan's biggest banks
are rushing to wipe some of their
estimated 28 trillion yen (US$230
billion) of bad loans from their books
by the end of the fiscal year, spurred
by new government standards that
force them to take a stricter look at
their own balance sheets.
Govt reconsiders license recovations
JAKARTA - The government plans to `review' already-revoked logging licences
for development `sustainability' reasons, officials said here yesterday.
The forestry ministry has accused 180 forestry companies of allegedly conducting
slash-and-burn land clearing practices after giving the companies 15 days to speak
for themselves.
The allegations were based on satellite monitoring, which caught a number of
hotspots identified as locations of logging companies.
Last Friday, the time was up for the companies and the forestry ministry lifted 151
timber utilization permits held by 29 companies, despite lack of evidence.
Only 65 companies met the October 2 deadline to submit official audit reports to
deny the charges.
Asked why the licences were revoked without sufficient proof, Director General of
Forest Utilization Soemarsono said that what the forestry ministry did is "only to
stop logging activities".
"Now that some of them have come up with legal defenses, it is only logical for us
to review our decision," Soemarsono told a press conference here yesterday.
Another reason for the review, according to Soemarsono, is the development
interest. "We just cannot maintain our development activities without timber.
Development needs timber badly."
The forestry companies which got reprieves are those whose reports are equipped
with legal documents. Until now, 121 companies have submitted their defenses to
the forestry ministry, 61 of which are equipped with legal documents.
The Director of Forest Protection and Natural Preservation, Titus Sarijanto, who
was present at the press conference, said that companies which have equipped
their defenses with legal documents will likely get reprieves.
"We don't have reason to review their licences since they legally are not guilty,"
Sarijanto said.
Most of the companies submitted their reports after passing the deadline set by
the forestry ministry.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Impact Control Agency (Bapedal) is gathering
evidence to take legal action against the 29 firms which have lost their permits.
"Our teams are currently taking samples to prove that there has been pollution and
environmental damage done," said an official of Bapedal, Nabiel Makarim.
"These samples will be used as evidence to take these companies to court," said
Makarim, who heads the agency's pollution control department.
He said the evidence included air samples.
Forestry Minister Djamaludin Suryohadikusumo said that fires have cut a
96,000-hectare scar across Indonesia and cost more than 45 billion rupiah (US$12.5
million) in other damage.
He said the financial loss had come from 15,600 hectares of plantations being used
to grow profitable commodities such as palm oil and rubber. The remaining 80,000
hectares were forest areas, including protected and national forests,
Suryohadikusumo said, giving his ministry's first estimate of damage.
Suryohadikusomo said the fires in plantations had begun to subside and that most
of the fires still burning were in beach areas where small farmers were still burning
land.
"But they [the farmers] should not be blamed as they are poor and have no
money," he said.
He said the government was training 8,600 personnel with financial assistance
from the United States, Canada and Germany to fight fires that have cast a pall of
choking smoke over much of Indonesia and neighboring countries.
Air quality levels have reached alarming levels in provinces throughout the
islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan while areas in Java were also reporting a
deterioration in air quality Monday.
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