The Environment and Forestry Ministry has said it expects the Indonesian Forestry Entrepreneurs Association (APHI) to become the government’s partner for achieving the five pillars of sustainable forest management.

Director general of sustainable forest management at the ministry, Agus Justianto, said that the five pillars include ensuring forestry areas, increasing business productivity, optimizing forest land, diversifying forestry products, and increasing product competitiveness.

“The pillars are our guidelines and must be implemented in all upstream to downstream business sectors,” he said in a statement issued here on Saturday.

Hence, the ministry is improving integrated digital-based forestry services for production planning, distribution, and export of products to expedite the service process and reduce production costs, he informed.

The director general also urged forestry business players to apply the multi-business scheme in accordance with Law Number 11/2020 on Job Creation.

“It is an important innovation for the production, legal, social, and ecological aspects of forest management,” he said.

Currently, there are 14 forest utilization business permits (PBPH) proposals for the application of the forestry multi-business scheme, he informed.

He added that the implementation of the business scheme is mandatory for PBPH holders.

Meanwhile, chairman of APHI, Indroyono Soesilo, said that the facilitation of PBPH is among the association’s seven strategic programs.

The other programs include accelerating the implementation of the Job Creation Law, facilitating the fulfillment of APHI members’ obligations regarding forest management, and deregulating taxes and levies, he informed.

They also cover strengthening the market for wood and processed forest products, strengthening cooperation in the investment sector, and facilitating overlapping PBPH implementation with non-forestry activities, he added.

The association will continue to pay close attention to international trade policies, especially the European Union’s policy (European Green Deal), he said.

APHI and the Indonesian Forestry Community Communication Forum (FKMPI) will also work closely with the United Kingdom and the European Union forestry associations to strengthen the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Voluntary Partnership Agreement (FLEGT VPA), he informed.

They will coordinate on the Article that regulates the promotion of timber products with FLEGT licenses, he added.

Source: Antara News