Indonesia: President Jokowi urges governors to allocate budget to prevent forest fires

Antara 19 Jan 16;

Jayapura (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has called on provincial governors across Indonesia to allocate budget for implementing the forest fire prevention program in their respective regions.

To this end, Papua Governor Lukas Enembe stated here on Tuesday that he was ready to follow up on it.

"President Widodos directives are already clear. Regional governments basically have to implement preventive measures and be more alert to act early against forest and land fires," he affirmed.

Governor Enembe hoped the forest and land fires in 2015 would not recur this year.

He said the president had also called on the regional governments to offer budgetary support to the TNI (military) and police in anticipating fires.

Governor Enembe affirmed that he would not only support but would also be ready to help the TNI and police in case the need arises and they submit a request.

President Jokowi stated here on Monday that there was a 0.2 percent correction in Indonesias economy due to smog problems triggered by forest and land fires in 2015.

At a national coordination meeting on preventing forest and land fires in 2016 at the state palace, the president said the facts revealed that smog from forest and land fires had caused an extraordinary impact on the regions economy.

(Reporting by Hendrina Dian Kandipi/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/F001)