Thursday, May 29, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
U.S. firm to invest $4 bln in Indonesian pulp factory
The pulp factory will have the capacity to produce 1.5 million tons of pulp per year, supported by a 500,000-hectare plantation forest, reported major newspaper The Jakarta Post.
International Paper is currently rated among the three largest pulp and paper producers in the world. They operate two factories in
The company chose
Hadi said he had requested International Paper follow Indonesian investment regulations by establishing a local company here.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Investor Burdened by Customary Rights for land and Bureaucracy
JAYAPURA- General Director of Badan Pengurus Daerah (BPD) Himpunan Pengusahan Muda Indonesia (HIPMI / Association Of Young Entrepreneur Indonesia) Papua, Andi Rukman Nurdin, sayd that if there is one big invesment enters Papua, thus its impact will become multieffects to other efforts which is able to move forward the economics to The New Papua.
"Bring investor in to an area is not easy to, but if there is 1 investor start to have masterpiece in an area, as the result will become consideration for the other investor step into its area,” he said to journalist before opened plenary meeting of BPD HIPMI Papua, in Swiss Papua belHotel, Sunday (27/1), evening.
According to him, 3 years ago, BPD HIPMI Papua invited 14 investors to Papua to give contribution for the economics development of Papua, but just about 6 months, they who among other things : Samporna Group and Bentol Group did not continue their invesment in Papua.
He said that, the obstacles that were faced by the investors at that moment so that didn’t continue their investment in Papua, isn’t far differ from some investors who will come into Papua in this time. "They have the same obstacles with the formerly.”
He pronounced that some investors’ obstacles come into Papua which the most difficult passed by is customary right for land and bureaucracy. Nevertheless, concerning customary rights for land, in this time is compiling about its perdasi and perdasus. so that will be expected have earned to be ratified soon. Thereby can give clarity and define which restriction must be conducted by the investors to have invesment in Papua.
Questioning plenary meeting of BDP HIPMI Papua, that the mentioned conducted to terminate his tenure after 3 years led BDP HIPMI Papua, by gives opportunity to the other cadres of BPD HIPMI Papua to continue in moving forward the real sector efforts in Papua, so that the economics in Papua will not depend on government projects.
He expressed, since his action in Papua, 1983 BPD HIPMI Papua until 2008 have owned 20 branches in Papua Province and have replaced their management until 8 times by turns, where 1 period takes place during 3 year. " Actually my tenure ended on November 24th, 2007 but I was given 3 months’ grace until the new official member,” he explained.
For that, as have done by leaders of previous BPD HIPMI Papua, so candidates who have been specified verbally, that is Max R. Krey, Syahril Hasan, Lutfi Arisandi and of bahlil LHD, have to do road show to some regions before election started, because they who'll determine Head Leader of BPD HIPMI Papua are they who live in that regions.
However, it’s expected by Andi Rukman Nurdin, any person who will be chosen become Head Leader of BPD HIPMI Papua have to be supported, and specially to whom it may concern to remains cooperate with the others in the efforts of developing Papua through BPD HIPMI Papua which cooperate with other elements either they who lives in or outside Papua.(api)
LEI : JIKALAHARI EXCLAMATION TO CERTIFICATION OF PT RAPP AS POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS
"The exclamation coalition of Riau NGOs which was conveyed on January 15th, 2008 is a positive thing to carried out certification process credibly and transparently in Indonesia.” Said Head of Majelis Perwalian Anggota (MPA) LEI, Dr. Ir. Hariadi Kartodihardjo. That statement was conveyed by Hariadi in Bogor, on Friday, as a official response of coalition of Riau NGOs’ press conference which united in Jikalahari (Jaringan Kerja Penyelamat Hutan Riau), that appealed on January 15th, 2008 in Riau.
Susanto Kurniawan, coordinator of Jikalahari on the conference appealed LEI to reconsider the certification process PT RAPP Pelalawan Sector (SK Menhut No. 356/KPTS-II/ 1997) extent of the plain is 75.640 ha. Due to the legal aspects about land certainty which is still not clearly yet. Industrial Forest Plantations Areas (HTI) belongs to PT RAPP Sector of Pelalawan for the width of 75.640 hectare have been ratified definitively by Minister Forestry base on Ministrial Forestry Decree No. 356 / Menhut-II/ 2004. If previously width of HTI PT RAPP areas only 159.500 hectare, consequently this Decision letter, specified HTI PT RAPP for the width of 235.140 of hektar. Coalition of Riau NGOs assessed that condition is very impossible to keep executes the certification process, and if it remain to be executed through PT Mutu Agung Lestari ( MAL), is the same meaning with justified illegal act PT RAPP Pelalawan’s sector, so that credibility of LEI will be questioned.
Press Conferenced by Riau’s NGO
Press Conferenced by Riau’s NGO
JIKALAHARI (Jaringan Kerja Penyelamat Hutan Riau), Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) Riau, Riau Mandiri NGO, Mitra Insani NGO, Kelompok Advokasi Riau (KAR), Kabut Riau NGO, PPR (Partai Persyerikatan Rakyat) dan Perkumpulan Elang appealed Certification Institute / LEI to cancelled in phase certification processes in Exploiting Everlasting Forest Plantations (PHTL) of PT RAPP Pelalawan sector (SK Menhut No.356/KPTS-II/2004).
Pekanbaru, Coalition NGOs’ of Riau exclaimed Certification Institute /LEI to reconsider certification process of PT RAPP Pelalawan sector (SK Menhut No. 356/KPTS-II/1997) extent of the plain 75.640 ha width in as much as the legal aspects about land certainty which is still not clearly yet. Industrial Forest Plantations Areas (HTI) belongs to PT RAPP Sector of Pelalawan for the width of 75.640 hectare have been ratified definitively by Minister Forestry base on Ministrial Forestry Decree No. 356 / Menhut-II/ 2004. If previously width of HTI PT RAPP areas only 159.500 hectare, consequently this Decision letter, specified HTI PT RAPP for the width of 235.140 of hektar.
Based on Image of Landsat 2007, area of HTI PT. RAPP Pelalawan Sector have been converted till 65.218 ha or about 80% from totalizeing areas. Where conversion begun since 2000 about 6.458 ha, mounting sharply year 2001-2002 for the width of 54,218 ha, 2003-2007 for the width of 3.924 hectare. "Permits was issued by Minister of Forestry at 2004, while according to field finding fact that conversion have been executed long beforehand" explained Susanto Kurniawan, Coordinator of Jikalahari.
According to Technical Document of LEI-04 Assessed (Scale Intensity) Indicators of PHTL , Lands Certainty as forest Plantations is areal status of management unit to Utilization of Land (Utilization Forest / TGH, Plan of Province’s Regional Planology /RTRWP. On the other hand HTI PT. RAPP Sector of Pelalawan inside Covert Area pursuant to RTRWP Riau 1994, though according to Ministrial Decree Forestry No : 21/Kpts-II/2001 About Criterion And Standard Permission about Utilizing Effort Result of Forest Plantations from Production Forest, January 31th, 2001, Criterion and Standard Permission to Utilizing Effort Result of Forest Plantations at Production Forest according to Utilization Forest (RTRWP).
Furthermore in Technical Document of LEI-04 Assessed (in Intensity Scale) the Indicators of PHTL mentioned , Lands Certainty as forest Plantations is the Existence of certainty guarantee for areal juridically and also minimize conflicts usage of areal in the future, because of that, every distorting of forest functions either because of arrangement changes and lands utilization have to immediately confirmed / to be re-specified. Boundary is one of the signals which giving a message that areal exsisted inside have been encumbered by certain function and rights. Coalition of Riau NGO compromised about Condition that has happened as HTI PT. RAPP Sector of Pelalawan, definitely specified as HTI on October 1st, 2004 trough Minister Forestry Decree No. 356/Menhut-II/2004 and PT RAPP sector of Pelalawan have conducted conversions to natural forest at HTI areas before owning definitely permits.The Coalition assessed that the condition is very impossible to keep executes the certification process to PT RAPP sector of Pelalawan and if it remains to be executed through PT Mutu Agung Lestari ( MAL), is the same meaning with justified illegal act PT RAPP Pelalawan’s sector. Moreover that LEI’s credibility will be questioned. According to this things, the Riau Coalition urge institute of to ekolabel discontinue process of serifikasi PT RAPP sector of Pelalawan beforehand to ascertain problems of farm status and permit of area of PT RAPP sector of Pelalawan ( SK 356/KPTS-II/2004).
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Discussion about Pulp and Paper in Pekanbaru
On Tuesday, January 3rd 2008 Kabut Riau Foundation organized a discussion about pulp & paper companies in Riau Province at KBH Riau’s office. The meeting attended by 3 NGO networks (Jikalahari, Walhi Riau and Forum Komunikasi Daerah LEI), and 3 community organizations (Sentra Gerakan Rakyat, Serikat Tani Riau, Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Riau) and also some NGO which is concentrate in pulp & paper issues like: Kabut Riau Foundation, Mitra Insani Foundation, Alam Sumatera Foundation, Perkumpulan Sialang, Kelompok Advokasi Riau, KPA EMC2, Perkumpulan Hakiki, Scale Up, Tesso Nilo National Park Foundation (TNTN), Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Pekanbaru and Kudapan.
The Discussion’s Results:
The complications appeared in Riau about Pulp &Paper Industries are:
Law Enforcement
All year along 2007, as we knew that police department in this case, especially POLDA Riau is processing some involvement indication pulp &paper companies in illegal logging cases which is usually do by small branch companies as factory’s basic commodities supplier.
Also we knew that handling of law process emerged some different perception between Police Department and Forestry Department and also in DPR RI level, like between some commissions who handle this case.
On interval the different perceptions, the companies also played its part with some threat will discharge thousands of workers. Until now, law process is still go on and Police need supports from NGO and other parties to maintainance of law for these cases.
Land Expropriation
Sentra Gerakan Rakyat (STR) has been doing reclaiming action to the land that managed by PT Arara Abadi (APP Group) in Mandau Bengkalis. The struggle action did because the company seized the communities’ land for planted by accasia and as a consequence, the communities in those area lost the land as their livelihood which is passed on from one generation to the other.
The struggle action, protest, demonstration about this case have been doing since the beginning 2007 but unclear yet about the solution, so that the communities keep doing re-claiming action about the land which is belief as theirs.
The action did by means of claim the boundaries and yanked out accasia planted by the company. Not even one case won by STR until now but this action gave some stroke to the company.
Certification of Industrial Plantation Forest
After formalized Industrial Plantation Forest in Tesso sector with a certificate, RAPP will certificate LEI on its plantation in Pelalawan sector too. RAPP will test the whole certification system either domestic or foreign country to proof its success in manage forest plantation. Beside RAPP, it is reported that PT Arara Abadi will certificate its plantation areas which is locate in Bukit Batu region.
Corruption
Corruption is one of three main stream of crime in cases that involve companies who manage Industrial Plantation Forest in Riau beside illegal logging and land expropriation. From all complications that involve pulp & paper industries in Riau, the settlement is also leisurely. Even if the problems emerge face with local community around Industrial Plantation Forest, indicated a lot of corruptions happened between administrators with industrialists. So that in every complication the little community always become the victims.
Workers
We found a lot of dhischarged of workers unilateral by the companies but this thing never heard by public because the workers didin’t say anything, not protest or struggle. Now there is one struggle case has been doing by ex workers discharged unilateral by one of branch PT RAPP and the case has been struggling in the jurisdiction of the highest court beyond which there is no appeal (Mahkamah Agung RI).
Taxes Embezzlement
We found indication taxes embezzlement in every work contract between PT RAPP and contractor who manage the job. If this thing can be proof and happened already so that could be calculated the financial loss of our countryfrom the taxes which is should payed by the companies to the state.
Basic Material Supply and Expansion
There is information that PT AA has been accepting supply of basic material from Kalimantan and for its expansion there is job opening by both of Industrial pulp &paper Groups (APP & APRIL) for staffing placement in Kalimantan and Papua.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
APP Forest Clearing in Bukit Tigapuluh Threatens
Lives of Local Communities and Sumatra’s Endangered Species
Pekanbaru & Jambi, INDONESIA -- The destruction of high biodiversity forest in Sumatra’s Bukit Tigapuluh landscape – including the extinction of the endangered Sumatran tiger, elephant, and orangutan- is now in front of our eyes. The Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape is severely threatened due to on going massive clearance and a future plan by the Ministry of Forestry to convert the expired Selective Timber Concession (HPH) through the giant pulp and paper company Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) and its partners.
The Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape, located in Jambi and Riau Province, is one of the last remaining areas of relatively large contiguous dry lowland forest in Sumatra. Five environmental NGOs that work in the landscape strongly criticize this conversion plan. The plan will systematically threaten the habitat of endangered species; environmental services provided by watershed Indragiri and Rateh rivers of Riau and watershed Batanghari and Pengabuan rivers of Jambi; and the livelihood of forest-dependent local communities, including indigenous tribe of Talang Mamak and Orang Rimba.
WARSI, PKHS, Frankfurt Zoological Society, Zoological Society of London and WWF-Indonesia call on the government to take real action in protecting the remaining forest in Bukit Tigapuluh landscape from forest conversion done by APP and its partners.
Natural forests in Jambi have became a new target for APP to source its materials to produce pulp and paper as its conversion activities in the neighoring Riau have been stopped due to a police investigation of illegal logging there.
Inactive logging concession areas in Bukit Tigapuluh forest block have become the target of forest clearance to plant accacia by APP partners PT Arara Abadi of Riau and PT Wirakarya Sakti of Jambi. Both are very expansive in clearing forests to provide material for the pulp and paper industry.
APP partners have cleared about 20,000 hectare of natural forest in part of the Bukit Tigapuluh lanscape, particularly in the area surrounding protected forest Bukit Limau. The forest clearence was done to supply material for pulp production at APP’s PT.Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper in Riau and PT.Lontar Papyrus Pulp and Paper in Jambi.
Field investigations done by environmental organizations in Riau and Jambi and released today found indications of illegal logging and logging highway construction by APP and its partners in the location of inactive ex PT IFA and PT Dalek Hutani Esa. The highway has created access for further conversion and sped up the loss of natural forests, while the legality of the highway construction is still being scrutinized. Natural forest clearance has taken place inside and around the protected forests in Bukit Tigapuluh landscape and in the area that serves as home to indigenous Orang Rimba and Sumatra’s endangered species. (See WWF Investigative Report).
Conservationists are very concerned by the findings and call for APP and its partners to stop clearance of any natural forest where ecological, environmental and cultural conservation values have not been determined and protected and an end to the sourcing of any wood from such clearances. The groups also call on the government to review its current policy on Bukit Tigapuluh and to better address current threats against the Bukit Tigapuluh ecosystem before it is too late. This includes stopping all forms of forest clearance in breach of national Indonesian laws and regulations.
”With its high conservation values, Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape should be protected and therefore all natural forest clearance in the area has to be stopped,” said Ian Kosasih, WWF-Indonesia’s Forest Program Director. He called for APP to commission independent assessments of the conservation values of the area in a publicly transparent manner before any conversion take place.
The five conservation groups issued a letter to the Minister of Forestry in 3 September 2007 calling for redrawing the boundaries of Bukit Tigapuluh National Park and protecting Sumatran tiger, elephant, and orangutan habitat around the park and its extension protected forest Bukit Sosah–Bukit Limau.
59 mammal species and 198 bird species -- a third of Sumatra’s birds – have been recorded so far in Bukit Tigapuluh landscape, and it is a home of endemic and endangered flora Rafflesia hasseltii and Johanesteima altifrons. The Bukit Tigapuluh Landscape is also considered by many tiger scientists and conservation experts as one of 20 Global Priority Tiger Conservation Landscapes. Indigenous tribes of Talang Mamak, Orang Rimba and Traditional Melayu are known to settle in Bukit Tigapuluh forests and are highly dependent on the forests for their livelihood.
For further information, please contact:
Ø Diki Kurniawan (Warsi) : 08127407730 /dicky@warsi.or.id
Ø Peter H Pratje (FZS) : 08127495815 /phpratje@gmail.com
Ø Dolly Priatna (ZSL) : 081389001566 /Dolly.Priatna@zsl.org
Ø Desmarita Murni (WWF) : 08127537317 / dmurni@wwf.or.id
Ø M. Yunus (PKHS) : 081365705246 /yunus_pkhsb30@plasa.com
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Indonesia Potential to Command Paper market in the World
http://www.cappa.or.id/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=25&Itemid=1
Indonesia’s Pulp and paper had potential ability to command paper market in the world. Which today still commanded by Finland and South America like Brazil dan Chili. " Indonesia have potential to command pulp and paper market in the world because the big amount of basic material, until pulp and paper factories often charged by international NGO for breaking environtment law but in fact, it just dealings competition" said the director. Riau Andalan Pulp & Paper (RAPP) company, Leonardy Halim in Pangkalan Kerinci, Pelalawan District, Riau. According his opinion, supply of basic material like accasia in Indonesia have crops time only up to 7 years and have a good quality but in Europe and South America, accasia can harvest in 30 years. “with short harvest time but have the same quality with natural accasia so Indonesia have high competitiveness in pulp and paper market in the world, said Leonardy, the branch leader of April group company which central in Singapore. He said that charged breaking environtment law by international NGO caused their export prohibited entrance to Europe in 2003. "To proof the infraction they have to tested the product in Germany which finally unproof violate so their product get premium price in Germany. According his statement, the accusation Infracting environtment law due to pulp and paper Indonesia, as dealings competitionin Europe market. He said that Indonesia had prosperity and used modern technology, so Indonesia have the best basic material in quantity and so quality. In quantity with short distance and harvest time so guarantee the supply of basic material and in quality, accasia planted in Indonesia have long fiber as good as natural accasia so can give a good quality of paper, he said. So, he believe that Indonesian Paper in 2009 will command the world’s market overcome Brazil and Chili. He said that the capacity of RAPP is about 2 million ton per year and its production 1.9 million per year. Meanwhile from the production 85 % for export and 15 % for Indonesia. He expect the production in next year can reach China which estimated fast economic growth. Because of that, April Group as Leader company will invest 360 million US$. Meanwhile The manager of Public Relation of that company, --Fakhrunnas MA Jabbar--said that for Community Development they had built 3000 small community effort from various effort with earnings 3 billion rupiahs a month. According his opinion, small community effort around the factory consist of Farming, wood plantation, handicraft and animal husbandry. So they will keep develop until they can reach export market..
Local Wisdom for Management Forest
Sir Nicholas Stern, --The economic adviser from England Government for Development and Climate change--, stay in Jambi for two days. He visited Guguk Village, Sungai Manau subdistrict, Merangin District with England ambassador for Indonesia Charles Humphrey. Stern would have a schedule also, to visit Lubuk Beringin village, Bathin III subdistrict, Ulu Bungo district, but cancelled because the machines of helicopter which take Stern and the others to the village which applicated rubber agroforest had broken. Stern watch with himself the community which organized by KKI Warsi manage the forest with customary law which they had done since a long time ago.Both of these villages have choosen because They had customary law which in fact can save the forest. Because the community realize forest as life sources and they depend on it for their whole life. “From the customary law which the communities had done, it giving a better results for the sustainable of the forest, said Executive Director KKI Warsi,RakhmatHidayat. The community of Guguk determained the forest as communities’ in the amount of 690 Ha since 2003 which is managed in customary law and keep the eternal. The communities’ forest was born because there are urging from outside, like Forestry Plantation belongs to PT. Injapsin who took Guguk Village’s area without confirmation become their concession areas, beside that it caused also from illegal logging around Guguk village. “The community realize that forest exploitation will cause degradation and destruction of the forest and also they will have complicated problems to access the forest’s sources which they had for a long time, said Rakhmat.
The Community of Guguk who Fasilitated by KKI Warsi struggled to take their right back on that forest. They won this Struggle, their village didn’t belongs to PT Injabsin’s anymore and they had permit from Merangin District in Legal Permission Letter SK No 287 2003, talk about Bukit Tapanggang area as communities’ forest of Guguk Village Kecamatan Sungai Manau Kabupaten Merangin on June 2nd 2003 .
The community of Guguk also made rules about using the forest which making management groups who will . manage their custom forest. Custom forest doesn’t mean that woods on it couldn’t take by the communities, but they had a rule to take it and keep the immortal. “Cut the woods could be done to make common facilities with a permit from managing group first. Each tree cut must be change with 5 trees planted,” added Rakhmat. He also said that there are convictions for woods robber from customary law .
Meanwhile in Lubuk Beringin, The communities around Kerinci Seblat National Park, with their local rules about agroforest system that mix rubber plantation with natural trees. These mixing plantation had the same function with natural forest as water catcher. “The community activities in both villages are decrease carbon emissions,” said Rakhmat.
As we knew that carbon emissions contributed on climate change. Therefore as Stern analised global climate change impact to economy. Climate change effect is seriously global threatment and need global opinion which pushing. The impact of what we’re doing now will give impact to climate change on the future. What we are doing now will contribute for climate change in the next 40-50 years. And what we will do in 10-20 years next will give big effect to climate in the middle and the end of century and so on.
According Stern opinion, climate change is a global thing on its affect so that international activity will be necessary to push an effective, deserve and certain scale opinion. These will need cooperation especially in many groups to create price and market for carbon, research of technology, development, distributing and adaptating especially for developing country.”
It become necessary because developing country will suffer more than developed country and become a big threat in decrease poor people. It caused by the weather of developing country hotter and high intensity of rain. Beside that, developing country depends on agriculture much while this sector will be very sensitive on climate change. “According Stern information, clearly we need certain step to save the world from carbon emission. What the communities Guguk and Lubuk Beringin village had done are one of potential step to decrease carbon emission, and hopely can be followed by other regions,” said Rakhmat.