"The verification system is expected to protect timbers exported by Indonesia," Hasan told newsmen after taking part in tree-planting drive on the road side of the Siak-Buton highway here on Tuesday.
He said timber export destination countries like those in Europe would soon enact a verification system on the legality of the timbers as there have been cases involving Indonesian timbers exported illegally to Europe.
Each timber importing country will subject the timbers to checking on the originality and the kinds of the timbers and they reserve the right to decline the timbers which are not in accordance with the information from the source countries.
Hasan said that the Indonesian government has launched cooperation and exploration for cooperation with some importing countries in Europe, China, Australia, Malaysia and Singapore.
"Countries of European Union, China and Australia have agreed on the enactment of the legality verification system. But Malaysia and Singapore haven`t yet welcomed the system," Minister Hasan revealed.
In Indonesia seven associations of timber-based industries have supported the enactment of the system and they agreed on exporting only SVLK-certified timbers. Some pulp and paper industries have also supported the system.
The Indonesian government has provided for the legal bases for the system domestically, namely the decree of Forestry Ministry No. P.38/Menhut-II/2009 on the standard and evaluation guidance for sustainable production forest management and timber legality verification on license holder or forest right holder.
SVLK will be very potential to become a good reference for REDD to develop its model and will also encourage forestry private sector to transform the way they run the business from conventional forest resource utilization to the "improved forest management."(*)
KR-VFT/HAJM//H-YH
Editor: Jafar M Sidik
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
