T

he state ministry for the environment, with far-reaching powers awarded to it under the new environment law, should be made into a proper ministry to reflect its growing importance.

Such an upgrade is badly needed to help preserve the country's environment, the minister and experts said.

State Minister for the Environment Rachmat Witoelar said the new environment law gave clear indications his office would be turned into a regular ministry to make environmental protection more effective.

"But it'll depend very much on the state budget allocated over the next five years," Rachmat told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

"If our budget allocation is still small, don't expect too much despite the change in status.

"It certainly won't make sense if this office gets an allocation of only Rp 600 billion next year," he added.

The minister expressed doubt the next government would be able to boost its budget allocation for the environment in the first year of the new term, due to the global financial slump.

"I'm hoping we get a boost in status from state ministry to proper ministry by the second year of the next administration," Rachmat said.

The law grants at least 26 new powers to the state ministry, including the issuance of environmental permits, developing economic instruments and enforcing the law.

It also allows civilian investigators to arrest polluters, which so far has been the exclusive privilege of the ministry.

The law also explains planning and prevention instruments to mainstream sustainable development to protect the environment.

The government is required to record its environmental assets through mapping and identifying the various kinds of natural resources that can be exploited throughout the country.

Local administrations, meanwhile, are obliged to formulate strategic environmental assessments to evaluate harmful impacts to the environment.

Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL) executive director Rino Subagyo agreed the environment portfolio should be granted proper ministry status, given the continued decline in environmental management in the country.

"If there isn't any change in the status, it'll be very difficult for the state ministry for the environment to make use of all that power under the new law," he warned.

"That'll render the law powerless."

Padjajaran University environment expert Asep Warlan Yusuf also urged the government to immediately implement the law by awarding Rachmat's office full ministry status.

"Without a breakthrough, we'll all suffer from environmental disasters," he said.

"The state ministry for the environment will have difficulty upholding the law and getting the private sector and local administrations to protect the environment."