External power ‘sways’ REDD task force

JAKARTA: Analysts say that a draft presidential instruction (Inpres) on the postponement of new permits on primary forests and peatlands has ignored national interests and will potentially harm Indonesian forestry businesses.

Sadino, the executive director of legal study at the Forestry Policy Bureau, said Monday that the draft prepared by Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) task force had veered from the Letter of Intent (LoI) agreed to by the governments of Indonesia and Norway last year because it included secondary forests and forests for other purposes.

“The REDD-plus task force does not have adequate understanding of Indonesian forestry and seems to merely follow the interests of foreign companies and non-government organizations,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

According to Sadino, the moratorium should have only included primary forests and peatlands, as stipulated in the LoI.

However, it now includes secondary forests and forests designated for other purposes.

“The draft Inpres would potentially destroy not only the legal order but also the country’s economic stability and instigate conflicts between the central government and regional administrations,” he said, adding that the government might face law suits filed by people or groups who may incur losses caused by the issuance of the new regulation.

Dodik Ridho Nurrochmat of the Bogor Agricultural Institute school of forestry said that the LoI should better accommodate the national interests.

“The LoI should not intimidate national interests. The proposed Inpres should not stop issuance of all forestry permits because some of the permits are allocated to spur economic growth for the sake of the people’s prosperity,” he said. — JP