The boycott was on alleged involvement of the tissue makers in forest fires spewing haze of smokes.
Palembang, S Sumatra (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Association of Pulp and Paper (APKI) suspected that business competition was behind Singapores boycott of Indonesian products of tissue paper.

APKI said Indonesian products of tissue had been withdrawn from the market in Singapore by the supermarket chain of NTUC Fair Price on recommendation of the Singaporean government and local non governmental organizations, Singapore Environment Council (SEC).

Executive Director of APKI Liana Bratasida said the boycott was on alleged involvement of the tissue makers in forest fires spewing haze of smokes.

Forest and bush fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan have caused great inconvenience disrupting flight schedule, causing breathing difficulty and respiratory disease spread as the neighboring country.

Liana said the boycott was not fair as investigation is still in process and law enforcement against the perpetrators had been taken.

In addition, suspects in the forest fire cases are not only Indonesian but also foreign plantation companies.

"The action by the Singaporean government is discriminating against Indonesian tissue paper producers," Liana said here on Friday.

She said pulp and paper as well as tissue paper producers in Indonesia are known to be strict in their observance of regulation on environmental preservation.

The Indonesian authorities have said that farmers and oil palm plantation companies are the one most responsible for the forest and bush fires and the some of them are foreign companies.

Liana cited one big pulp and paper maker in Indonesia already adopted Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) with commitment not to use timber from natural forest.

Pulp and paper producers in the country are required to have industrial timber estate to feed their factories.

Therefore, the accusation against pulp and paper makers is wrongly addressed, she said.

In addition, Indonesian pulp and paper producers hold the timber legality certificate (SVLK), and the certificate for environmentally friendly products.

"We hope the Indonesian government seriously address this problem. The Singaporean government has shown lack of appreciation of legal process," she said.

She said the government should investigate possibility of business competition motivating the boycott.

"The purpose could be to weaken Indonesian industry and damage investment climate in the industry," she added.

Indonesia is major pulp and paper producers in the world and the industry has great potential to expand with the potential availability of basic material, she said.

Currently Indonesia ranks among nine largest producers of pulp and among six largest in paper production in the world.

The countrys exports of pulp and paper averaged US$5.6 billion a year in value per year.

"Indonesia has the potential to be the worlds largest producer of pulp and paper with the abundant availability of basic material," Liana said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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