Jakarta (Greeners) – President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo urged the implementation of Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) License as reward for legal and sustainable logging trade.

“Sustainable economics has become Indonesia’s main priority. Hence, I hope that FLEGT License can be immediately implemented,” said President Jokowi as quoted from an official press statement, during his meeting with European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, on Thursday (21/4).

The meeting, which also attended by President of European Council, Donald Task, had agreed on reducing illegal logging and increasing legal wood agreement between European Union and Indonesia.

European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella said that the agreement would take place after Indonesia was considered to be ready to implement Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) with European Union which covered all products suitable for FLEGT license.

“The announcement is a signal to market that it is possible to achieve sustainable forest management through legal and verified woods. The announcement also marked Indonesia’s position as the first nation to receive FLEGT license from European Union,” said Vella.

Photo: greeners.co/Danny Kosasih

Agus Justianto, senior adviser to Ministry of Environment and Forestry for Economics and Natural Resources, said that European Union only has three months to follow up the agreement, around July or August for Indonesia to begin first shipping legal woods to European countries.

Furthermore, Justianto said that the government had to clear off technical issues related to Ministry of Commerce Regulation issued in 2015 which declared wood exports with 15 HS codes free from being audited for Wood Legality Certification (SVLK).

Director of Agricultural and Forestry Products Export of Commerce Ministry, Nurlaila Nur Muhammad, said the regulation had been revised which declared all wood products, including furniture, were obliged to be legally certified.

Furthermore, Muhammad said that the industry did not object SVLK as long as European Union can implemented European Union Timber Regulation (EUTR) as soon as possible.

“If EUTR can be fully implemented, Indonesia will gain bigger benefits from countries who have yet obtained FLEGT License,” she said.

Agus Sarsito, senior adviser of Multistakeholder Forestry Programme (MFP), added that Indonesia’s remaining home work was to ensure small and middles scale industries comply and obtain SVLK certifications.

“There are 94 small and middle scale industries have yet to obtain SVLK but used Export Declaration. If using group certification, one group consist of five, then our budget will be sufficient to support them,” he said adding that if all operational procedures in Indonesia and European Union were completed then all Indonesia’s wood products would have to obtain FLEGT license.

Reports by Danny Kosasih

Jakarta (Greeners) – Wood Legality Verification System (SVLK) is the answer to sustainable business demand in forestry sector, said director general of sustainable production forest management of Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Putera Pratama adding that the system has guaranteed transparent sustainable management from up to downstream.

Furthermore, he said Indonesia had compulsory implemented the system in accordance to the law to improve forest management and the country’s reputation for timber products.

Indonesia and European Union had ratified Voluntary Partnerships Agreement or FLEGT-VPA under presidential regulation signed on March 13, 2014 and European Union Parliament on February 27, 2014.

“The agreement with European Union is expected to reach full implementation in April 2016 or FLEGT – Licensed Timber which makes Indonesia as the first nation to make the agreement with European Union which includes the political spectrum. Full implementation of SVLK means that Indonesia’s timber products can enter Europe’s market without due diligence,” he said in Jakarta, on Friday (18/3).

Putera said that the regulation was being revised and the expected changes will push forward good governance in forestry management and improve small and middle business.

The changes include to prolong the expired date for forest rights holder, small industry, and people’s timber industry to six years for certification phase and two years for audit surveillance phase from three years and one year.

In addition, the regulation is to ensure traceability of the products, no re-export for auction items of confiscated products.

“SVLK also being monitored by NGOs, local and central governments which will be stressed on the revision,” he said.
SVLK has been legalized through Forestry Minister Regulation No. P.38/Menhut-II/2009 followed by P.43/2014 jo. No. P.95/2014 on Standards and Guidance of Sustainable Production Forest Management and Wood Legality Verification for Forest Permit Holder.

With the new regulation, roles of local government can increase to support SVLK, such as guiding business people to obtain SVLK and solve permit issues which have been claimed as being too bureaucratic.

Reports by Danny Kosasih

Jakarta (Greeners) – Sistem Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu (SVLK) diharapkan menjadi jawaban atas tuntutan sustainable business di sektor kehutanan. Direktur Jenderal Pengelolaan Hutan Produksi Lestari (PHPL) Kementerian Lingkungan Hutan dan Kehutanan, Putera Pratama mengatakan bahwa SVLK telah menjamin tata kelola kehutanan secara lestari dan transparan dari hulu hingga hilir.

Indonesia sendiri, katanya, telah menetapkan secara wajib penggunaan SVLK sesuai dengan peraturan perundang-undangan dalam rangka memperbaiki tata kelola kehutanan dan memperbaiki reputasi produk perkayuan. Dalam konteks penerimaan SVLK di pasar internasional, Indonesia dan Uni Eropa telah meratifikasi Perjanjian Kemitraan Sukarela (FLEGT-VPA) masing-masing melalui Perpres tanggal 13 Maret 2014 dan Parlemen Uni Eropa tanggal 27 Februari 2014.

“Perjanjian dengan Uni Eropa ini diharapkan berujung dengan implementasi penuh FLEGT-VPA mulai April 2016 (FLEGT-Licenced Timber). Ini berarti Indonesia merupakan negara pertama di dunia yang mempunyai perjanjian semacam ini dengan Uni Eropa beserta spektrum dampak politisnya. Implementasi penuh SVLK memiliki makna produk kayu Indonesia dapat masuk ke pasar Uni Eropa tanpa melalui pemeriksaan kepabeanan (uji tuntas/due diligence),” katanya, Jakarta, Jumat (18/03).

Menurut Putera, saat ini peraturan tersebut sedang dalam proses revisi dan diharapkan perubahan regulasi ini akan mengedepankan perbaikan tata kelola kehutanan (good governance) serta keberpihakan pada Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah (UMKM). Diantara beberapa poin perubahannya termasuk masa berlaku sertifikat bagi pelaku usaha atau hutan hak, industri kecil dan industri pengguna kayu rakyat menjadi enam tahun masa sertifikat dan dua tahun penilikan, yang mana semula tiga tahun masa sertifikat dan satu tahun penilikan.

Selain itu, peraturan ini juga untuk memastikan keterlacakan penggunaan bahan baku yang terjamin berasal dari “hulu” yang telah lolos SVLK (berstatus legal). Lalu, penegasan tidak boleh diekspornya produk kayu yang berasal dari hasil lelang dari kegiatan temuan, sitaan, rampasan melalui proses pengadilan.

“Selain itu, penguatan sistem SVLK melalui mekanisme pemantauan atau pengawasan yang dilakukan oleh LSM, Pemerintah Pusat dan Daerah juga akan diperkuat melalui revisi ini,” tutupnya.

Sebagai informasi, SVLK sendiri ditetapkan dengan Permenhut P.38/Menhut-II/2009, yang selanjutnya diatur dengan Permenhut Nomor: P.43/2014 jo. No. P.95/2014 tentang Standar dan Pedoman Penilaian Kinerja Pengelolaan Hutan Produksi Lestari dan Verifikasi Legalitas Kayu pada Pemegang Izin atau pada Hutan Hak.

Dengan diterbitkannya Permen LHK yang baru, diharapkan peran Pemda semakin besar dalam mendorong implementasi SVLK, di antaranya dengan membimbing pelaku usaha yang belum ber-SLK untuk dapat segera ber-SLK secara berkelompok, serta mendorong menyelesaikan persoalan perizinan yang selama ini dianggap terlalu birokratis.

Penulis: Danny Kosasih

Jakarta (Greeners) – The effort to protect Indonesia’s forest is now entering a new chapter as Government Procurement of Goods and Services Policy Agency (LKPP) will stipulate Timber Legality Verification System (SVLK) as one of the requirement in procurement for timber based goods.

Head of LKPP, Dr. Agus Prabowo said that companies complained lack of market for SVLK products which resulted for LKPP to eventually create the market. Furthermore, Agus said that companies would have to show SLVK certification for their products to be listed in the e-catalogue of LKPP procurement.

“Ministry of Environment and Forestry had issued a letter No. S553/UM-4/2015 which stipulates SLVK certification required for timber based goods procurement in the Ministry, last year. The product availability for domestic market is sufficient. There are 1,300 companies already obtained SLVK certification,” he said in Jakarta, on Wednesday (27/01).

Dr. Rufi’ie, director of Timber Production Management and Marketing at the ministry said that government consumption for timber products was high such as for construction, paper and furniture. The demands will keep on rising as Indonesia’s economic development also increasing.

In contrast, illegal logging has been bringing destruction to the environment.

“Illegal logging also causes for floods, landslides, and forest fires in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Budi S. Wardhana, Director Policy Sustainability and Transformation WWF – Indonesia, said that they were ready to support the government and other stakeholders in preparing SVLK implementation as part of timber based procurement requirement.

Furthermore, he hoped that demands on certified products were not only for international market but also domestic as part of good consumption attitude.

“It will, of course, encourage business people to use legal timber products and motivate furniture small business in Indonesia to certified their products with SVLK if the market is made available by the government,” he added.

Reports by Danny Kosasih