Govt prepares ruling on extension of forestry moratorium

The government will issue next week a new Presidential regulation for the extension of the existing moratorium on the conversion of primary forests and peatland, which will expire on May 20, Bisnis Indonesia reported on Tuesday.

The head for the monitoring of moratorium at the special task force for the implementation of the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), T. Nirarta Samadhi said that the draft of the Presidential decree on the extension of the moratorium was being finalized.

The Presidential Working Unit for Supervision and Management of Development (UKP4) and REDD+ proposed the immediate extension of the moratorium when it expires on May 20 as stated in Presidential decree No.10/2011, Nirarta added.

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said that the government was intensively preparing the proposal for the extension of the moratorium on primary forests and peatland. ?We are still preparing the proposal,? he said. (*)