Indonesia’s vice-president Jusuf Kalla has called on the forestry ministry to release forest rehabilitation funds totalling US$1.7bn.
Mr Kalla said the funds were needed to revitalise the forestry industry and speed up rehabilitation of Indonesia’s devastated forests.
The money has been collected since the 1970s from forest concession holders but not spent, partly due to fears about ministry officials and business people using it to make a profit rather than rehabilitate the forests.
The ministry has allocated Rp3.2 trillion for restoring 750,000ha of denuded natural forests in 2005, which is up from 251,000ha in 2004. It’s target last year had been 500,000ha.
Minister of forestry Malam Sambat Kaban said the ministry’s difficulties in meeting targets stemmed from inefficiency due to corruption, a lack of supervision and poor co-ordination with provinical administrations.
