The Jakarta Post 22 Oct 15;
The government is set to cancel its plan to relax certification requirements for downstream timber products.
Previously, the Trade Ministry said that small and medium enterprises should be allowed to export their timber products without meeting the criteria of the timber legality verification system (SVLK) as part of the ministry’s new policies on deregulation. According to Trade Minister Thomas Trikasih Lembong, among the 32 rules that were supposed to be deregulated, one of them included a mandatory SVLK for downstream timber products such as furniture.
“We must understand that deregulation has limits. There are also positive regulations that are very worthy and should be maintained,” Thomas said after the opening ceremony of the 2015 Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to Thomas, the plan was canceled after the ministry received feedback from the European Union, the Environment and Forestry Minister and NGOs.
“I learned that SVLK is a very sophisticated and good system and it will add value to Indonesia’s timber product exports,” said Thomas.
SVLK aims to reduce illegal logging and timber trading as well as improve the management of industrial timber products. It will also help prevent the emergence of black markets.
Thomas said the mandatory SVLK for downstream timber products would be fully enforced next year. All uncertified timber products will not be allowed to be exported due to their unverified origins.
