Projection Of National Land Use planning at 7 Province

U.S. firm to invest $4 bln in Indonesian pulp factory

JAKARTA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S.-based paper and pulp company International Paper plans to invest more than 4 billion U.S. dollars in a pulp factory and industrial forest in Indonesia, local press said Monday.

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.

Central Kalimantan and Papua provinces had been chosen as the investment locations despite a lack of supporting infrastructure because no similar businesses operated there, the newspaper said, quoting a senior official with the Forestry Ministry.

International Paper is currently rated among the three largest pulp and paper producers in the world. They operate two factories in Brazil and Canada.

The company chose Indonesia for its business expansion after conducting a six-month feasibility survey in a number of Asian countries, said Hadi S. Pasaribu, director general for forest product management.

Hadi said he had requested International Paper follow Indonesian investment regulations by establishing a local company here.

Indonesia has 84 integrated pulp and paper mills, with a total production capacity of 6.5 million tons.

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 24^th, 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

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

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.

Johny S. Mundung, The Director of WALHI Riau mentioned, " Concession of PT RAPP in sector of Pelalawan almost entirety (38.877 hectare of its areas) are inside protected area according to plan of Riau Planology /RTRWP 1994" furthermore Raflis, Yayasan Kabut Riau, added that " the overall condition of HTI PT RAPP areal are deep peatlands which is more than 3 metres and according to Precidential Decree (Kepres) No. 32 / 1990 must be protected.”

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 31^th, 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 1^st, 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).

Discussion about Pulp and Paper in Pekanbaru

On Tuesday, January 3^rd 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.

APP Forest Clearing in Bukit Tigapuluh Threatens

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