LEI : JIKALAHARI EXCLAMATION TO CERTIFICATION OF PT RAPP AS POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS

Bogor, 18/1 (ANTARA) – Ecolable Indonesian Institute (Lembaga Ekolabel Indonesia /LEI) assessed the exclamation from coalition of Riau NGOs to reconsider certification process PT RAPP Pelalawan sector extent of the plain 75.640 ha width as a positive suggestions.

"The exclamation coalition of Riau NGOs which was conveyed on January 15^th, 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 15^th, 2008 in Riau.

LEI is an accreditation certification independent organization which develops management sustainable forest plantations system (PTHL) in Indonesia.

Jikalahari consists of Wahana Lingkungan Hidup (Walhi) Riau, NGO Riau Mandiri, NGO Mitra Insani, Kelompok Advokasi Riau (KAR), NGO Kabut Riau, PPR (Partai Persyerikatan Rakyat) dan Perkumpulan Elang.

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.

According to this thing therefore Coalition of Riau NGOs urge LEI on discontinue cerification process of PT RAPP Pelalawan sector beforehand to ascertain problems of lands status and permits of PT RAPP Pelalawan sector‘s areas ( SK 356 / KPTS-II/ 2004).

Hariadi said, existences of certification process precisely open public chance to watch performance management of forests, and exclamation of Riau NGOs represented input to certification institute which certificated PT RAPP. He explained, PT RAPP Pelalawan sector is experiencing assessment to early stage of certification in phases PTHL LEI nowadays which has been being conducted by certification Institute which was accreditated by LEI is PT Mutu Agung Lestari (MAL). On this stage Certification Institute do the first survey and public consultancy to get information hit the condition of PT RAPP at this moment. He admitted that problem of PT RAPP Pelalawan sector ( SK Menhut No. 356/ KPTS-II/ 2004) was caused also by uncertainty of applicable law.

" Equal to certification FSC system (Forest Stewardship Council) Principal No. 1, system of LEI related at applicable law and regulations but when regulation and applicable law overlap, LEI system can open agreement room among related parties to realize the rule of law, so that isn’t tend to Local government side or Forestry Department," said the expert forestry from Agriculture Institute in Bogor (IPB).

FSC has founded by various delegation of organizations like environmental organization, entrepreneur circle dabbling in timber trade, professional expert of forestry, local society and certification institutes from 25 states in 1993.

FSC have a part as accreditation’s institute which has symbol that also used as lable to indicate that a forest’s products come from areal which have been managed well (well managed forest).

The same thing with FSC, Lembaga Ekolabel Indonesia ( LEI) which is on 1998 officially stand up as institution, also have a part as accreditation institute since 2000.

After developed certification system, LEI had been developing and maintain relations among them with FSC, industry and commerce associations in importer states and Buyers Group of Certified Wood Products which sponsored by WWF in various states to obtain confession in international market.

The Effort to obtain international confession, especially in its connection with FSC, have yielded the signing a Memorandum of Understanding between LEI and of FSC on September 3^th 1999, where FSC agreed certification institutes which has accreditated by FSC operating in Indonesia will use standard of forest certification which have been developed by LEI.

Check permits’ authenticity

Meanwhile, Executive Director of LEI, Taufiq Alimi sees there are two important matter want to be submitted by Coalition of Riau NGOs and require to get serious attention by certification Institute, that is conversion to lands which ought to protected and activity of lands conversion although definitive permit has not been issued by Forestry Department yet.

"We goodly accepted exclamation from JIKALAHARI as suggestion. LEI convince of that land conversion of forest must not be done in protected areas, and at the same time have asked PT MAL to checking carefully existences and authenticity of permits which become the basis for operation of PT RAPP," he said. He explained that an area ought to protected for many reasons such as it residence at above 3000 metres height ( mdpl), own sloping land more than 40 degree, becoming endemic animal habitat, becoming cultural heritage (for example becoming custom dwelling area, or was expressed sakral by custom community), represents drainage river, own deep peat and because miscellaneous others which is condition become must be protected areas.

He asks all related parties to execute fair exploiting and everlasting in Indonesia to exploit LEI certification.

"If there any party which is feel that real management unit inappropriate to to get certificate from LEI, thus LEI open wide chance through the team who dropped by certification institute and through LEI observer which also go down to field in each process of certification. The LEI is all constituent properties, so that all parties can and have to give input in each certification process " he said.

Furthermore Accredit and LEI Certification Manager, Daru Asycarya enhance, in certification phases, an unit of forestry management assessed in some assessment step.

"certificate of Ecolable will only be given if management unit have passed all assessment steps and have expressed its passed at the final assessment of certification " he added.

According to him, before the passed statement issued, the result of each assessment phase, even can be exploited in business communications, it will not prove that pertinent management unit have managed its forest fairly and sustainable.

"To ascertain certification in phases processes have been executed well, we have sent observer to watch the certification process " he said.

Diposting oleh teddy di 14:58 0 PADA JAN 22 2008