Indonesia: Govt drops plan to cooperate with WWF - Minister

Antara 26 Oct 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government has dropped a plan to cooperate with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in setting up a project management office for agrarian and social forestry reforms, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution said.

"After evaluating it (the planned cooperation), we found a potential conflict of interest because WWF also belongs to the alliance of civil societies. So, the (planned) cooperation is cancelled," he said here on Wednesday.

In the beginning, the government thought that the basis for the establishment of the cooperation is to support the performance of low-performing bureaucrats, he said while addressing a Tenurial Conference 2017.

"We need a project management office as bureaucrats work slowly. I have also received inputs from various parties so the planned cooperation is cancelled," he said.

Six days ago, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs agreed on the establishment of the project management office with WWF for Indonesia as part of efforts to support the governments equitable economic development program.

The planned cooperation came under the spotlights from various parties, including academics and civil society. Hence, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Darmin Nasution decided to cancel it.

The government has launched an agrarian reform program, which covers legislation and redistribution of assets classified as land of agrarian reform program.(*)