Papua province is defying the Indonesian government in its refusal to revoke logging licences it granted to 44 private firms last year.
The government’s Ministry of Forestry claims the move is illegal and could aggravate deforestation in the province.
The logging companies which were granted concessions for an area totalling 11.8 million ha are expected to fell around three million m3 of timber this year, twice the annual logging quota of 1.5 million m3 set by the ministry.
Papua province said it wants to regain the right to use its forests after more than 50 years of control by central government during which, it claimed, it received nothing.
