Sarawak company Samling Global has dismissed as “inaccurate” the Norwegian government’s allegations that the company is causing severe environmental damage.
On Monday the Norwegian Government Pension Fund sold its 16 million shares, worth around US$1.2m, in response to what it said was Samling’s “systematic illegal logging” in six concessions in Sarawak.
The fund’s investigation found “extensive and repeated breaches of the licence requirements, regulations and other directives in all of the six concession areas examined. Some of the violations constitute very serious transgressions, such as logging outside the concession area, logging in a protected aea… and re-entry logging without environmental impact assessments”.
But Samling said the investigation was “inaccurate” and based on incomplete information. It also said the fund had not responded to an invitation to clarify the matter.
