Minister Confirms Extension of Forest Moratorium

By A Fitriyanti Jakarta (Antara) - Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan has confirmed that the forest moratorium based on Presidential Instruction No 10/2011 which will expire this May, to be extended but he still does not know when the new regulation to be issued. "The forest moratorium has to be extended. I still don't know when, and whether it should be expanded or not as its draft is still on the round-table discussion," Minister Hasan said here on Tuesday. One of the reasons why the moratorium about the postponement of issuance of new licenses and improving governance of primary natural forest and peatland has to be extended, is because it is part of the Indonesian Government's commitment to reduction of 26 percent of the carbon emission by 2020, he noted. "We are committed to achieving this goal. However the Presidential Instruction was issued in May 2011, we had prepared its draft since early 2010," he said. Therefore, to continue its commitment, the moratorium on deforestation would be extended, at least for the primary forests and the peatlands, he stressed. However, Hasan added there would be risk that the forestry companies will sue the ministry related to the forest conversion right for industry. "We would take that risk," he said. But, the minister declined to give a deadline of the new moratorium . "That is the authority of the president," Hasan said. Previously, on Monday (May 6), the Indonesian Forestry Ministry and the United Nations of Development Programme (UNDP) launched first forest governance index to address the current state of forest protection and management of central and provincial government. (*)