Forestry Agency revokes industrial license for illegal logging

Banjarbaru, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The South Kalimantan Forestry Agency has revoked licenses of a wood processing company for it involvement in illegal logging uncovered by the Tanah Laut District Police.

"Indeed there was an indication of the industry in illegal logging and we have recommended the revocation of its licenses. Actually the authority on our to revoke, but because of now licenses are online in one stop service at the Investment and One-Stop Integrated Services Office (DPMPTSP), then it revoke through DPMPTSP," head of the agency Hanif Faisol Nurrofiq said in Banjarbaru, Monday.

He admitted, after the license administration has been checked there was no production. But the fact, the owner of the industry has done selling, so the abuse of license should be curbed and it became lesson for his party in the future supervision.

In addition of its operation of being revoked, the wood processing industry in Kiptap Sub-district, was also objected to forest administration sanction in the form of 15 times payment of forest resource fees (PSDH) from the volume of wood collected.

Hanif explained that PSDH is a levy on the license holder as a substitute for intrinsic value of forest products that the holder collected from the state forests.

"We have already issued these fines. If the industry does not pay, we will keep collecting including it interests for every month," he said to Antaranews.

Meanwhile, the agency did not only revoke the licences, but has damaged the road which became the route of encroachers. Hanif acknowledged to instruct his ranks in the forest rangers to damage road might be used by trucks.