President Jokowi Today Scheduled to Hand Over 3,992 Ha of Indigenous Forest

INDUSTRY.co.id - Jakarta - President Joko Widodo will hand over the customary forest of 3,992 hectares to the Customary Law Community (MHA) at the opening of Tenurial Conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (25/10/2017).

The event was held by the Office of Presidential Staff, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, and Coalition of Civil Society for Justice Tenurial, Secretary of the Directorate General of Social Forest and Environmental Partnership (PSKL KLHK) Apik Karyana said after the tenure media briefing in Jakarta on Tuesday (24 / 2017)

"The decree (Decree of the Minister of Environment and Forestry) will be submitted by the President to nine Customary Law Community," he told media crews.

The customary law communities are among others in Tapang Semadak Village, Sekadau District, West Kalimantan, covering an area of ​​41 ha. Marena Village, Sigi Regency, Central Sulawesi, is covering 756 ha and 405 ha.

Batu Kerbau Village in Bungo District covering 323 ha and 326 ha, Senamat Ulu Village in Bungo District covering 223, Baru Baru Pelepat Village in Bungo Regency covering 245 and 821 ha, Ngaol Village in Merangin Regency covering 278 ha and Merangin Village in Merangin Regency covering 525 Ha. All of these villages are located in Jambi Province.

While 49 ha will be handed over to customary law community in Juaq Asa Village, Kutai Barat Regency, East Kalimantan.

The total area, according to him, will also soon increase because there are about 110,000 ha which is now also verified to enter the next customary forest establishment. All of them have been identified to have a law on the recognition of indigenous peoples.

Customary Forest, he said almost the same as the village forest. The difference is that the village forest still enters state forest while the customary forest is removed from the state forest area.

'Practically the regulation is the same. That's why in West Sumatra the nagari concept prevails there, so the village forest is managed by customs, only it is not excluded from the state forest area," he said.

So that the extent of 707,000 ha of Indigenous Forest mentioned by President Joko Widodo in his state speech in the 2017 MPR Annual Session, given to indigenous peoples is also in the form of village forest that is reserved to customary forest.

"After the regulation of indigenous peoples issued by the governor then the reserved can directly become customary forest, without the need to pass the verification process again," he continued.

To date, the total number of customary forests that have been fixed by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry Decree reaches approximately 13,000 ha.