The Welfare of 10,2 Million People Living in the Forest Areas Is Far From Achieved

Jakarta (Greeners) – President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo said that the welfare of 10,2 million people living in the forests areas was far from achieved due to legal aspects in forest management.

Consequently, President Jokowi requested for local people to plant silk tree (Albiza chinensis) in the forests areas. It is considered as an effective way to gain economical benefits.

“I recorded 25,863 villages, inside and surrounding, forests areas, which 70 percent of them rely on forest resources,” he said in Pulang Pisau district of Central Kalimantan, on Tuesday (20/12).

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Furthermore, he said that social forestry is a concept that should be giving benefits to people, farmers and cooperation. Its target is to ensure forestry sector gain its golden ages by ensuring people’s concession right holders.

He appraised the collaboration set up in Buntoi village which would bring certainty on market and industry that would accept their products. He added that all purchases and sales must apply reasonable prices.

Meanwhile, Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya said that the collaboration was set up between People’s Plantation Forest with wood industry to market Buntoi Village products. To support the industry, a factory will be built in the area with the investment projection reaches one trillion rupiah.

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On this collaboration, Minister Siti underlined for silk trees planted by local people must be supported by the industry to ensure its sustainability and interaction established between village forest and industries.

“We will conduct working meeting to finalize the support to local people to conduct better forest management and to produce commodity without destroying the forests,” she said. “There will be Forest Management Unit (KPH) and Public Service Agency which are part of capacity building if they want to sell their products in accordance with SVLK.”

Reports by Danny Kosasih