Life is Healthy

The United States Government positively assess the implementation of Timber Legality Verification System / Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu (SVLK) as part of Indonesia's efforts to promote legal timber trade.

Assistant of United States Trade Representative (USTR), Mark Linscott, in Jakarta on Wednesday, said, Indonesia has taken important steps to prevent illegal logging and illegal timber trade. These steps include the development of law and regulation tools such as SVLK, he said. Linscott also stated that after the bilateral working group meeting of Indonesia-United States to combat illegal logging.

Moreover, the U.S. government itself has imposed Lacey Act amendments since December 2008 as an effort to prevent illegal logging and illegal timber trade. Although Linscot rates positive the development of legal devices in Indonesia, Linscot still said, "It's too early to tell whether the device (SVLK) which was developed in Indonesia to meet the requirements as regulated in the Lacey Act. Need further analysis for that."


On the same occasion, Director General of Forest Production Development from Forestry Department, Daryanto, said, SVLK ensure the legality of timber and wood products produced by Indonesia. "Thus, Indonesia's timber products are not expected to be difficult to enter the U.S. market that enact the Lacey Act amendment," he said.

Hadi even see, the implementation of the Lacey Act, increasing export opportunities for Indonesian wood products to the United States. Because, with the enactment of these provisions, countries that used to accommodate many illegal timber from Indonesia and then exported to the United States now will have trouble.

To Certified timber products, Ministry of Forestry through the National Accreditation Committee / Komite Akreditasi Nasional (KAN) accrediting 15 independent assessors agencies, and 1 verification institutions.

State Minister Of Environment Rachmat Witoelar to ensure began in 2010 the perpetrators of environmental destructive will enter a prison. "Next year, the destroyer of the environment is entering the prison, they will be guaranteed not pass from law," said Rachmat as cited by Antara News Agency in Padang, West Sumatra.

Rachmat in Padang as the keynote speaker at the Governance Seminar in spatial Sumatra Island, which was held by WALHI (Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia, or The Indonesian Forum for Environment) of West Sumatra along with a number of environmental NGOs in Sumatra.

He refers to the government preparation of the latest bill number 27, 1997 on Environmental Management. According to him, Environmental Bill was deliberately formulated as additional and suppletion of Law Number 27/1997, which considered to be sterile because can not afford to throw the environmental destroyer to the prison.

The proof, 59 out of 60 sample of cases around the findings of environmental pollution authorized to the investigator, could be free and pass in court. "This is a proof that a number of articles in Law 27/1997 is still weak, and need to be made forceful," said Rachmat.