An emergency regulation is being drafted in Indonesia which will enable the government to create a special task force to tackle illegal logging.
Minister of Forestry M Prakosa said current criminal law was unable to crack down quickly on growing illegal logging practices.
A short term solution, he said, was the drafting of a “perpu” , an emergency regulation which is higher than a governmental decree in legal power.
Mr Prakosa said many smugglers of illegally cut logs had been caught but released without explanation from the police.
Under the perpu, the government’s special force will be authorised to arrest smugglers and illegal loggers and seize their timber. A special court could be set up to ensure anyone caught is dealt with quickly.
